Divine Intervention
by Uppity Bitch
Summary: This takes place in an alternate universe after Klaus seeks assistance from a certain blonde Norse goddess after Katerina has become a vampire and foiled his attempt at breaking his curse. Later chapters will follow this spicy "power" couple as they stir up all kinds of trouble in Mystic Falls. (Dark Klaroline) *Nominated for 2016 Klaroline Award - Best Original Story Concept
1. Chapter 1

Divine Intervention

Author's note: This began as a one-shot for Angelikah for the Klaroline Valentine's Gift Exchange. I now plan to create several chapters for this narrative. It takes place in an alternate universe in which Klaus seeks out assistance from an unlikely source after Katerina has become a vampire and foiled his attempt at breaking his curse.

Warning: Smut. And lots of it. When Angelikah asked for smut, it was a bit intimidating considering how much I admire her own saucy writing. I hope that I've delivered a worthy gift. Happy reading!

* * *

"Beware of sleep on a witch's bosom,

Nor let her limbs ensnare thee.

Such is her might that thou hast no mind."

— _Poetic Edda_

* * *

The sacred oak tree hid many secrets from this world, but Klaus vowed to expose them all if it failed to deliver what he desired. The insufferable doppelganger Katerina had foiled his attempt to break his hybrid curse by turning herself into a vampire, thus rendering her precious blood useless. However, just because her blood was worthless did not mean it held no value to him — he would have his vengeance by slowly bleeding her dry before ripping out her cold heart. In fact, he had just returned from slaughtering her family, a dark message he delivered most enthusiastically.

He held aloft the large copper bowl filled with the blood of a young bull he had sacrificed. His steel gray eyes monitored the sacred tree branches closely, taking in every leaf twitch in the night breeze. Satisfied, he set the blood at the base of the tree and removed a silver coin from a cracked leather pouch. He traced the blunt edges carved into its surface before bringing it to his red lips to reverently kiss the runes inscribed upon it. He threw the coin into the sacrificial bowl and then pulled out the iron arm-ring from the pouch.

Clutching it tightly in his fist he called out, "Before the sacred oak, sown within the valley of my ancestors, I summon Hel, Goddess of the Dead, Queen of the Underworld and Land of Mist. Upon my immortal body I swear an oath to you, upon this night and forevermore."

After Klaus' oath had been uttered, the entire tree shivered as though awakening from a deep slumber and suddenly a beautiful blonde maiden appeared before him. The sapphire blue wool of her simple shift matched her imperious gaze. Her ethereal radiance stunned him, transforming the cocksure, centuries-old vampire into an uncertain, almost bashful man. "Hel," he whispered hesitantly, bowing his head.

Her delicate, shell-pink lips twisted into a playful smirk. "Odin is a leprous old goat who thrust that wretched namesake upon me. You may call me 'Caroline'." She cocked her head, studying his confused expression. Chuckling, she added, "It seems you were expecting a hideous hag with gangrenous limbs." At Klaus' small nod she scoffed, "More filthy lies from Odin's venomous tongue." She reached forward and grasped his chin, his stubble pleasantly scratching her smooth ivory skin. As she held his fiery stare, she proclaimed, "I appear as I choose. Why have you summoned me, Niklaus?"

Klaus regained his bearings, jerking his chin from her powerful hold. He straightened his spine, standing tall before her, refusing to be intimidated by her power or incredible beauty. "I require the location of the traitorous doppelganger Katerina."

Her blue eyes twinkled in amusement. "You seek the location of an impudent child who thwarted your attempt to break a curse. For this simple knowledge, you have bound yourself to me, body and soul?"

"Yes."

"Very well." Caroline caressed his handsome face, outlining his strong jaw with a single sharp nail. "I shall take my tribute and then deliver unto you the knowledge you seek." The tip of her red tongue darted out, slowly licking her lips as she gazed upon him. "Does your immortal body crave mine, Niklaus? I must confess it has been ages since I have been drawn to one such as you."

Klaus smirked down at her and cockily replied, "Caroline, love, there are _no_ others like me." He leaned forward and grasped her lovely face with both hands, forcefully kissing her until they pulled apart, gasping.

"I am drawn to the fire within you, your anger," she panted, lunging forward to rip off his tunic and mold the smooth curves of his muscles with her hands. As she turned away from him to fetch the copper bowl beside the sacred oak tree, Klaus eagerly tugged at the leather fastenings of his trousers. He stepped free of them, his nude form almost glowing in the pale moonlight.

Caroline arched a brow at the magnificent flesh he exposed and beckoned him toward her. "You have heard the legends of me, Niklaus? That I am a terrifying beast that devours my tributes?" She slowly poured out the bull's blood onto his sculpted chest and back, allowing the rich, warm blood to drip down his flesh in a strangely enticing manner. "You'll find that being devoured by me can be exceedingly pleasant," she added with a seductive smile.

Klaus's steel gray eyes lit up in delight as the goddess stood before him. He toyed with her long, golden curls and growled, "Permit me to feed you, my goddess."

She seductively unbuttoned the clasp of her keyhole neckline, allowing the blue fabric to fall down her shoulders, exposing the tops of her creamy breasts. She bent her head, sliding her long tongue across his chest as she cut a wide swath through the rivulets of blood. She took her time, kneading his firm flesh, delighting in the muscles that seemed to tremble under her talented fingers.

Caroline slowly sank to her knees, firmly wrapping her hands around his erect member, the smooth skin twitching at her cool touch. He barely stifled a groan as she licked a delicious trail across his length, making his cock dance before her pouting, rosy lips. Seemingly unable to delay her desire a moment longer, she swallowed him inch by delightful inch, her penetrating gaze catching his as he let out an involuntary gasp.

She moved her lips back and forth, establishing a sinful rhythm that Klaus' hips helplessly followed as he flexed and thrust in patterns that became more forceful as he caught her small moans of delight. One of her hands slid confidently up his blood-splattered thigh, pausing to squeeze the strong flesh working so diligently to draw pleasure, before stopping to boldly cup his delicate sac in her palm.

Noting her interest, Klaus rasped, "Do you like them, sweetheart? You rub them between your fingertips like precious treasure. Tell me, do you desire to inspect them further?" Continuing to cradle the sensitive skin, she allowed his cock to slip out of her mouth, piercing him with a blue stare that silently commanded him to voice his needs. He sank his fingers into her golden strands and stared down at her lustfully. "I yearn to rub your beautiful face against my pouch and prick, marking you with my juices."

"Mark me, Niklaus," she seductively cooed, pressing her flushed cheek against his engorged flesh. She rolled his impressive girth across her soft skin, teasing him with light kisses as his tip grazed her luscious lips. He could feel the tension coiling within his belly, aching for release. He grit his teeth, determined to delay his gratification a bit more, but his tenuous hold was gloriously abandoned when she pushed her exquisite face against his tightening sac, trailing it across her cheeks and chin.

Caroline's mischievous act triggered his release, and she moved swiftly to capture his cock's every spasm. He groaned at her eager swallows, hoarsely encouraging, "That's it, love. Savor my salt upon your tongue."

As she cleaned every drop that clung to her sweet lips, she rose before him, lightly tracing his soaked member as it stirred once more at the mere hint of her affections. "I crave you still, vampire," she purred, turning her back to him as she rested her palms against the trunk of the sacred oak tree. Throwing a heated gaze over her ivory shoulder, she asked, "Will you take me upon the altar and seal your oath, Niklaus?"

"As you command, my goddess," Klaus said with a lascivious grin. He flashed behind her bent form, impatient hands pulling up the hem of her shift and admiring the delectable curves that were exposed to the night air. He caressed her pale cheeks, squeezing them playfully and chuckling as she impatiently thrust her soft mounds more fully into his palms. His finger easily slid inside, the pathway slickened by her desire for him. He added another finger, and then another, relishing in her moan as he stretched her trembling body. Soon, her hips were greedily chasing his fingers, riding the passionate waves he created within her.

"Do you _crave_ more, sweetheart? Tell me what makes my goddess _ache_ ," Klaus rumbled.

Caroline gasped as she met each thrust of his skillful fingers and whimpered, "Fill me with your cock, Niklaus. I must have it. I _need_ it."

Klaus groaned at her desperate words, his iron length begging to be placed deep within her. He grasped her hips and plunged into her dew-slicked channel, finally sating his throbbing flesh. His grip tightened as he began his powerful strokes, delighting in every breathy moan he pulled from her lush body. He imposed his will with every furious thrust, marking her even as he felt himself become marked by the oath he pledged to the beautiful goddess.

She pushed her curves back onto his rigid flesh, unwilling to be parted from his searing brand until their desires were fully sated. He felt her quivering center flex and clench, signaling her satisfaction. She shouted out in ecstasy as she bore down, holding him as tight as a fist before drenching him with her essence. With a few final thrusts, he found his own explosive orgasm, partially pulling away to rub his release across her still-trembling globes, thoroughly marking her.

As they collapsed underneath the oak tree in a tangle of limbs, they gazed at one another, clearly unnerved by the unexpected and powerful connection they had forged. Caroline gracefully rose upon one elbow, her rose-tipped breasts spilling out of her dress. She carelessly tossed back her curly blonde mane and said teasingly, "Now, my dear Niklaus, about Katerina…"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Author's note: Okay, you guys talked me into it; here's the next chapter everyone's been asking about. I expect to write one or two more chapters after this. I am beyond thrilled with everyone's enthusiasm for this work — your reviews really make my day! Please let me know what you think! Find me on Tumblr: supremeuppityone

Warning: Graphic violence.

* * *

"When he comes to me

I mean to stand, not run from his shooting

Flames, stand till fate decides

Which of us wins. My heart is firm,

My hands calm: I need no hot words."

— _Beowulf_

* * *

He had left his horse in the woods; the stubborn, smoke-colored mount refused to go into the valley and had reared up repeatedly, trying to throw him. His enhanced senses could smell the sweat that had appeared, signaling the animal's fear. From the wild look in its eyes, he knew that no amount of force would convince the steed to obey his commands. Drawing his sword from its leather strap, he slung a satchel across his body and began the journey into the mist-covered valley below. He noticed an unsettling quiet had befallen the land, as though the woodland creatures were hesitant to stir. He stubbornly shook his head at his foolishness, strengthening his resolve.

Hours later, he reached the sacred oak tree and began his preparations for the ancient summoning ritual. He poured the bull's blood from the wineskin into a copper bowl, barely presenting it to the skies before carelessly setting it down at the tree's roots. Pulling a coin from his satchel, the silver seemed to glow as the sun started its descent. He hurled the rune-carved object into the bowl before turning his attention to the iron arm-ring that remained in the satchel.

He curled his fist around the cold metal and bellowed, "Before the sacred oak, sown within the valley of my ancestors, I summon Hel, Goddess of the Dead, Queen of the Underworld and Land of Mist. Upon my immortal body I swear an oath to you, upon this night and forevermore."

He took a single step back as the entire valley seemed to shake along with the sacred tree. Suddenly, an ethereally beautiful blonde woman stepped out from behind the ancient oak, her sapphire eyes boring into him in a most unpleasant manner. She stood silently before him, her lovely face devoid of expression as she continued to hold his gaze.

"I summoned the Goddess Hel, wench," he spat hatefully at the seemingly innocent maiden before him.

Her pink lips curved into a playful smile. "Wench? You are mistaken, Mikael. Although I suppose my appearance is not as you imaged from the tales you have heard."

"Hel's visage is one of mortal nightmares. Half of her form is withered and decayed to symbolize her status as guardian of the graves," he said with the air of great authority.

"I appear as I choose. You will call me _Caroline_. She cocked her head to the side, studying Mikael silently. "Odin and his wretched faithful's treacherous tongues will one day be their undoing." Her eyes glowed with unearthly flames that he looked upon in surprise and the smallest hint of fear. "You remind me of him."

He thrust his chest out proudly and said, "I remind you of Odin?"

Caroline shook her head, her blonde curls dancing as she laughed gaily. "Of course not. You remind me of Odin's elderly swineherd. He too is an unrepentant braggart whose grasp far outreaches his station." She narrowed her eyes at him, the fathomless blue returning as she said sharply, "Why have you summoned me, vampire?"

His weathered face reflected his anger. "According to my spies, the wretched vampire Niklaus was spotted here mere months ago. I demand his location."

She quirked an eyebrow and asked amusedly, "And what do you hope to accomplish with this knowledge you so impertinently demand?"

" _Hope_ is for pathetic mortals," Mikael scoffed. "Niklaus _will_ die by my hand."

"And in return for this valuable knowledge, you pledge to be bound to me, body and soul, vampire?"

He curtly nodded; his icy gaze hard and unyielding. As though sensing the goddess' growing displeasure, he hastily added, "My oath can be consecrated with Niklaus' blood. I have procured a portion and will pledge it to you. The rarest in all of creation — the blood of a foul creature born a wolf but whose curse was triggered after he became a vampire."

"Niklaus' blood, you say," Caroline practically purred.

"Indeed. A treasure that surely is fit to secure your loyalty to my quest." Noting her interest, he excitedly continued, "And once he is dead, I vow to perform the ancient rites with his blood so that you may bathe in it as you choose."

Caroline smiled knowingly as she cast a glance over her shoulder at the sacred oak tree. A handsome figure stepped out from behind the trunk, smirking as he came to a halt beside her, " _Bathe in my blood_? Tell me, my goddess, didn't we recently try that in Aragon?"

With a devilish lick of her pink lips she nodded, "As well as Castile, Granada, and any other place that strikes our fancy." With a coy smile, she faced a seething Mikael and taunted, "It appears I have found your prize. As you can see, I already possess the _rarest treasure in all of creation_."

Klaus chuckled and entwined his fingers with Caroline's. "We bear witness to an unprecedented day, my goddess — Mikael singing my praises."

Mikael snarled, "Niklaus bears no mark, nothing to signify his bond to you. My spies would have sent me word of your oath."

Caroline laughed mockingly, "Foolish vampire, the strength of our bond requires no tawdry symbols. It simply _is_."

"Clearly you are no divine creature, whoring yourself to this abomination," he coldly spat.

Moving far more quickly than even the centuries'-old vampires could register, she stood mere inches away Mikael, grasping his foolish head in both of her hands. Her cold smile seemed to delight in his inability to wrench himself from her powerful hold. "I should pluck that hateful tongue from your skull, vampire. However, I loathe denying Niklaus the exquisite sounds of your screams by his hand." Her bone-white fingers reached forward suddenly, and she plunged her sharp nails into his right eye socket. She slowly tore through skin and delicate membranes before finally halting her gruesome exploration, shoving a screeching Mikael away from her in disgust. She jeered, "Do compose yourself, Mikael; it will grow back. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for your dignity."

Klaus drew a shining sword, pointing it toward Mikael. "Shall we finish your quest now, _father_?"

Panting, Mikael attempted to ignore the unbearable pain that coursed through his body. He gripped his sword tightly and growled, "As you wish, _boy_." He swung his sword in a smooth arc toward Klaus' torso, cutting away a swath of fabric.

Klaus returned the favor, thrusting his sword in a downward motion, neatly stabbing Mikael's thigh. Before he could react, Klaus repeated his movement, bestowing the same wound upon his opponent's other side.

Enraged, Mikael roared, forcefully meeting Klaus' blade with a loud clang that echoed throughout the mist-covered valley. The two vampires were both skilled swordsmen; they moved back and forth with enviable strength and grace. However, it became obvious that Klaus was blessed with extra speed as well as a fiery purpose that seemed to drive his sword in dizzying circles, landing additional blows that never failed to meet his target. Groans of pain were torn unwillingly from Mikael's mouth with nearly every swipe of Klaus' sword. Almost out of boredom, he ended the charade and easily forced the sword from Mikael's hand with no more effort than a mere tap of his blade.

Failing to mask his shock at being defeated so easily, Mikael lifted his wounded face to Klaus, glaring with his single eye as the socket on the right continued to heal. He yelled pitifully, "What sorcery is this?"

"We are not merely bound by Niklaus' oath. He has pleased me greatly; therefore, he is my consort. I have elevated him to rule my dimensions beside me," Caroline proudly proclaimed from a low-hanging branch where she had perched to watch the swordfight.

Klaus smirked at Mikael and added, "In addition to the more obvious _pleasurable_ benefits, being Caroline's consort also has blessed me with power beyond that of an Original."

"Wretched boy, hiding behind a woman's skirts," Mikael sneered. "You _were_ nothing. You _are_ nothing. And will continue to be so for _eternity_."

"Oh _father_ , the terror I see upon your face is one I will treasure while I live out my _eternity_ ," Klaus coldly pronounced, swinging his sword's edge through the air with a quiet whisper as it cleanly severed Mikael's head.

Caroline called down from the sacred tree, "A white oak stake is still needed to finish the job properly. Mikael's satchel should carry one — he strikes me as a thorough creature. Undeniably foolish, but thorough."

A wave of emotions graced Klaus' flawless features — anger, pain, triumph, and even sadness — as he found the intricately carved stake and clenched it in his powerful fist. He flicked his steel gray gaze upon Caroline's stoic face before returning his attention to Mikael's severed torso. He plunged the white oak deep within the flesh, the forcefulness of his movements ripping the weapon through his enemy's black heart, past the withered skin and bone, to bury its wicked point several inches into the blood-speckled earth.

He slowly rose to his feet, quietly watching flames appear out of the cold ground to ignite Mikael's remains. Cool fingers tangled themselves with his as Caroline instantly appeared by his side. He gave a reassuring squeeze with his own trembling hand and the pair stood together, silently witnessing the cleansing fire illuminate the darkened sky, reducing what was once his greatest nightmare into insignificant ash.

Refusing to take his fierce gaze away from the burning remains, he asked quietly, "What will become of Mikael now?"

Caroline rubbed soothing, gentle circles on the inside of his palm. She boldly pronounced, "It is my divine right to be gifted a portion of the dead." With a sly smile she added, "I will ensure that he is numbered among _my_ portion."

"It pleases me to have my goddess at my side to bear witness to this triumph. Defeating Mikael has been an obsession for nearly all of my long life," Klaus said in a hushed tone.

She asked, "And what of your other obsession? To unlock your werewolf half and fully embrace your hybrid nature?"

"Yes, it is still my desire," he readily admitted. With a gleam in his eye, he questioned, "You know when the next doppelganger will appear?"

Caroline gave a tinkling laugh and kissed his full lips quickly. Pulling away with a devilish grin she teased, "Tell me, Niklaus, how do you feel about battling a small group of stubbornly resilient youths?"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Author's note: This chapter will take place within modern-day Mystic Falls when Klaus first arrives to break his curse. (The previous two chapters took place in the late 1400s when Katerina first escaped from Klaus and turned herself into a vampire.) As this is an alternate universe, I've taken some liberties with canon. Thank you for your kind reviews; I really appreciate the support I've received and hope you'll continue to enjoy my work!

Warning: Potential trigger warning for the beginning of this chapter. Also, graphic violence. And a fair amount of graphic smut.

* * *

A wayfarer should not walk unarmed,  
But have his weapons to hand:  
He knows not when he may need a spear,  
Or what menace meet on the road.

— _The Hávamál_

* * *

She giggled innocently as his eyes darkened with lust. A delicate pink blush colored her cheeks as she felt the heat of his intense gaze. She took a nervous sip of her beer, shakily setting it back down on the messy, wet ring-splattered bar.

"I probably shouldn't have bought that for you. That little schoolgirl blush of yours makes me think you may not be old enough to vote much less drink," Damon Salvatore cooed in her ear. "Something tells me you're a _bad_ girl." He cocked his head to the side, resting his palm on the top of her jean-clad thigh. "Am I in trouble, little girl," he asked with a naughty grin.

She tipsily blinked at him, as though trying to keep him in focus. "Oh no," she slurred a bit, "I've been a good girl all my life. I promise." She held up a delicate pinky and cutely hooked it into his. When she leaned back suddenly, she nearly lost her balance on the barstool, but managed to right herself before she fell. Giving him a dazed smile, she added, "But I think you could be bad. Are you a bad boy," she asked with a hiccup.

Damon licked his lips as he leaned closer to his chosen prey. She was a pretty little thing, but seemed unremarkable. He was sure that once he took what he wanted, she would prove just as forgettable as all the rest. He allowed his smooth voice to contain just the right hint of gravelly seduction, "Oh yeah, I'm a _very_ dangerous man. But maybe you could teach me how to be good?" His dark eyes twinkled as he added, "For you, I think I could be _very_ good."

She gazed at him wordlessly, her mouth open slightly as she tried to focus on his words. Her blush deepened as she gave him a small smile, hiding behind her beer as she took another hasty gulp.

He winked at her and grabbed her hand, tugging her unsteadily to her feet. "What do you say we get out of here," he asked with a lazy grin.

She frowned slightly and looked back at the row of empty bottles on the bar. "I think I drank too much," she slurred, shaking her head. "I think I'm just gonna go home."

When she tried to clumsily stumble past Damon, he grabbed her upper arm with a bit more pressure. His dark eyes went dead as he captured her drunken gaze. Lowering his voice, he harshly commanded, "You've just changed your mind, little girl. You will follow me quietly." He paused momentarily to allow his thin lips to curl into a satisfied grin as he watched his dark compulsion settle over the helpless girl. He quickly pulled her out of the Mystic Grill and into the dingy alley. He threw her small body against the rough brick wall and placed his arms on either side of her head, trapping her. Looking into her blank eyes, he sighed in irritation, "I prefer my toys with a bit more fight in them. You are such a sad little disappointment."

Suddenly, the girl's blank eyes were filled with sinister flames as her slack mouth curved into a wicked smile. "Perhaps I'll surprise you yet, Damon Salvatore," she said in an imperious tone flecked with an accent that had been carefully hidden before. Before he could blink, his body was thrown into the brick wall, shattering his spine, and he dangled helplessly several feet off of the ground.

"Who are you," he groaned in pain, unable to mask the shock upon his face.

"Myth knows me as the Goddess Hel. I prefer _Caroline_. You, lowly dog, will come to know me as your nightmare," she hissed, her long blonde curls swirling around her shoulders in a soft cloud.

Damon blinked back tears of pain as he tried to reconcile the petite, seemingly innocent girl in front of him with the power he suddenly felt emanating from her. "A goddess. Is that why you were able to hide what you were from me?"

Caroline rolled her eyes at him. "Pathetic little vampire, I do not _hide_ from anyone, least of all creatures that mingle with the dust at my feet. I merely noticed you were on the hunt and sensed you enjoy playing with your food." She narrowed her eyes, the flames having been replaced by an icy blue that still hinted at fiery depths. "I do not suffer bullies and their unsportsmanlike behavior." She caught his troubled gaze, smiling at his discomfort as his spine began the slow, painful process of regeneration. With a lilting voice, she sweetly compelled, "Now tell me your sins, little vampire. When you attempted to force me into following you to this foul place, your intentions were more than just a simple meal, were they not?"

"Yes," Damon said flatly.

"You must rely upon force and cheap parlor tricks when your honeyed words and false charm fail in your quest." Her mouth twisted as she spat, "You disgust me." She stepped forward, lowering the twitching vampire so that she could easily plunge her sharp nails into the side of his skull. She chuckled maliciously at his screams. "Hold still," she muttered, wiggling an index finger a bit further until she could crack the sphenoid just right. "Almost there," she added. With a sigh of contentment, she removed her bloody fingers, holding the fleshy mass of his pituitary gland. Before his horrified eyes, she took a delicate bite, chewing thoughtfully. Swallowing, she said, "While I have little use for vampires, your oversexed species does beautifully produce enhanced hormone-laced glands with a delightful burst of flavor."

"Little use for us? That hurts, my goddess," drawled a sexy voice from the dark recesses of the alley. Klaus stepped behind her, draping his arms around her shoulders protectively. He kissed the side of her temple, letting his nose linger along her soft skin as he breathed in her intoxicating aroma. "I can smell your excitement. It appears you were correct about this wretched little vampire."

Caroline shrugged her shoulders, still wrapped within the warm embrace of her lover. She turned her head to kiss his chin with her mouth smeared with Damon's blood. "The silly little vampire wanted to play with his food. It appears he's at a loss when his food wants to play back."

"He wanted to play with _you_ ," Klaus growled possessively. He let go of Caroline and stalked toward Damon, the black veins crawling across his handsome face. "You do not presume to touch that which is _mine_ ," he commanded.

Damon spat, "Who the hell are you?"

"I am Klaus. I believe you've heard of me," Klaus drawled as Damon paled, still trying to escape from the brick wall and Caroline's powerful hold.

She called out behind him, "You'll have to give it some time if you wish to feast on his pituitary." She licked her lips and added, "I couldn't resist."

"That's more your indulgence than mine, sweetheart. I prefer a bit more iron on my tongue," he answered with a devilish grin before plunging his fist into Damon's lower abdomen. The vampire screamed helplessly as Klaus rooted around his organs in a slow, methodical manner, as though he was carefully selecting produce at a farmer's market. He suddenly withdrew the meaty liver, casually swiping away some of Damon's blood to reveal a glistening reddish-brown membrane. Taking a bite, he rolled the organ meat around his tongue, savoring Damon's terrified expression. "Delicious," he pronounced, "but I detect a slight bitter aftertaste." He cocked his head to the side, studying his prey carefully. "Still pining after the latest doppelganger, Damon," he asked in a playful tone.

"Go to hell," Damon groaned as he felt his flesh slowly start to knit back together.

"I never get tired of hearing that phrase," Caroline mused. "Of course, these simpletons always misspell it," she frowned. Refocusing on the task at hand, she stepped toward Damon and caught his gaze once more. "Tell us how you plan to protect the doppelganger," she said forcefully.

As her compulsion took root once again, Damon responded in a flat tone, "Elijah has promised to help us defeat Klaus and protect Elena."

"My dear brother arrived sooner than we expected," Klaus responded, glancing at Caroline. "We should remind him of how rude it is not to stop by for a visit with his family."

"Agreed," Caroline nodded. Returning her gaze to the glassy-eyed vampire, she continued her interrogation. "Does your little group of misfits have a plan for stopping Klaus' ritual?"

"Not yet," Damon stated. "Bonnie is trying to communicate with the spirits for help."

Klaus smirked, his dimples flashing. "I believe we can work with that."

"Indeed," Caroline smiled wickedly, stroking his strong jaw. "What delightful fun this will be, Niklaus," she purred.

He dipped his head low and caught her pink lips in a passionate kiss. Pulling away with a heated look, he turned to the struggling vampire and continued Caroline's compulsion. "You will forget telling us about Elijah and Bonnie." His eyes flashed golden as his fangs emerged. "However, you _will_ remember your torture. It's in your best interest to convey to your little group what Caroline and I are capable of."

Before Klaus could release Damon, Caroline added, "Today, you should have met your end for trying to harm me. However, I have far _deeper_ plans for my revenge. For now, you will no longer seek to harm women. In fact," she grinned mischievously, "You will no longer have a taste for human blood. Instead, you will feast upon lowly rats, as befitting your station in this realm." She broke her compulsion, blue eyes hard as she released her powerful magic from the vampire's broken body. With a pitiful groan, Damon somehow managed to flash away from the alley.

"Well, that was somewhat anticlimactic," Klaus teased. "I expected more from one of the would-be heroes that has assembled to thwart my nefarious plans."

"After you killed Mikael all those centuries ago, I told you then that surrounding the latest doppelganger would be a group of irritating youths hell-bent on protecting her." Caroline smiled in amusement. "They'll put up just enough resistance to make our time here interesting, Niklaus."

He gripped her waist with a low growl, pulling her close to his body so she could feel the smooth, hard muscles that never failed to excite her. "Do you know what your talk of schemes does to me, my goddess?"

"I can _feel_ what it does to you," she purred, grinding her pelvis into his with languid strokes. She gasped as he gripped her hips and pushed her against the brick wall.

"Stay there," he commanded. His eyes flared golden when he saw her mouth open to protest. "No, no, my goddess, you brought this upon yourself by not wearing a tiny skirt for me. Even after I _begged_." He stroked her soft cheek with one blood-speckled finger, leaving a trace of savage red in his wake. "You know how I love those luscious legs on display for me, imagining how they will wrap around me. But you denied me. And as much as I enjoy watching the curve of your delectable little rump in those tight jeans, I'm afraid you _must_ be punished."

Caroline's deep blue eyes glittered dangerously. "Please forgive my trespasses. It is your divine right to punish those who have defied your wishes." She lowered her dark lashes coquettishly. "As I have certainly punished my impertinent consort whenever I see fit."

Licking his lips, he dictated, "Touch yourself. I need to see you fall apart with those clever fingertips."

With a soft sigh, she slowly flicked open her button and moved down her zipper. At his strangled groan when he spied her ivory skin, free from the restrictive barrier of panties, she grasped her open fly and ripped the denim away from her hips. She dipped her thighs in undulating waves, scraping her skin against the rough brick in a pleasing rhythm of pleasure and pain. Sucking on her index finger, she reveled in his hungry gaze before releasing her eager digit with a small pop. She outlined her soft folds, painting them with her moist touch.

Klaus rumbled, "Your determined finger slides so easily along your skin, so slippery with your desire. You're preparing a feast for me, love."

Caroline quickly plunged several fingers within her center, gasping, "Always for you; but it's _my_ repast first, Niklaus." She pulled her fingers into her mouth, curling her red tongue around her heady essence, savoring both her delicious flavor and the helpless groans she pulled from her lover.

Unable to control himself, Klaus launched himself at Caroline, hoisting her thighs onto his shoulders and thrusting his tongue into her aching core. He allowed his fangs to break loose, nipping sharply at her sensitive skin and drawing out a satisfying shudder from her. "That's it," he panted, pulling back his lips to meet her lusty blue gaze, "Let me see you, Caroline."

Wave after delicious wave crashed over her feverish flesh as she squeezed her shapely legs around Klaus, holding his lips against her quivering folds. "I'll rub that smirk right off of your face, lover," she vowed through gritted teeth.

"Rub away, my goddess," he groaned, roughly pulling her still-trembling body from his shoulders and undoing his trousers eagerly. With one smooth thrust, he pushed his throbbing length into her welcoming cave, delighting in the warm, wet home he had found.

Caroline slung her arms around his neck, using the angle to her advantage and pulling his hard body into hers more forcefully. She rode his bucking hips easily, following the brutal pace he set to chase another beautiful orgasm.

Klaus came with a harsh cry, stiffening against her as he welcomed the blissful satisfaction that always settled over him in her presence. He continued to hold her in his warm embrace, touching his sweaty forehead to hers. "Should we take this elsewhere before we give our enemies another performance?"

Caroline chuckled. "You know very well that neither of us minds an audience. Oh, the hapless Mystic Falls group. Aren't they in for a surprise?"

 _She thought back to her first meeting with Niklaus, when he had sought her out to locate the wayward doppelganger Katerina. He had been furious that she had escaped his clutches and turned herself into a vampire, but Caroline had quelled his temper when she told him her knowledge of the future. "Katerina has completed an important task for your ritual. She has given birth."_

" _What of Katerina," Klaus had asked, still blinded by his hate._

 _Caroline shrugged nonchalantly, "Kill her — she is of no further use."_

 _Klaus curled his lips in satisfaction. "And Katerina's daughter?"_

" _We will watch her child grow and ensure that the doppelganger bloodline continues." Caroline mockingly added, "I predict that Katerina's daughter is destined to live an unnaturally long life, don't you? After all, it's always nice to have an extra pair of eyes guarding that which we hold dear."_

Klaus' amused tone brought Caroline out of her thoughts. "Yes, my goddess. The would-be heroes have no idea of the fox in their henhouse." He chuckled darkly, "Someone they would never suspect."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Author's note: Thank you for your continued support of this work! Your reviews, favorites and follows mean so much! In this chapter, we'll see some familiar Mystic Falls faces, but at times I will deviate from canon (much like TVD and TO writers seem to do these days, but hopefully my choices will seem relevant to storytelling rather than the effect of too much insufferable ego). Also, a darker Caroline and Klaus than some of my other work.

* * *

The man who stands at a strange threshold,  
Should be cautious before he cross it,  
Glance this way and that:  
Who knows beforehand what foes may sit  
Awaiting him in the hall?

— _The Hávamál_

* * *

 _Dim-witted peasant meat_ , Klaus inwardly scoffed, as he found himself observing the crowd at the Mystic Falls Marsh Marigold Festival with a dispassionate gaze. The pathetically ordinary yellow flowers were on display throughout the rows of booths, from vases to elaborate garlands, while attendees wore them in their hair or as other even more questionable fashion statements of woven skirts. The thick aroma of cheap fried foods permeated the air, and he wrinkled his nose in distaste as he thought of how the chemical aftertaste of over-processed foods would make the festival attendees' blood a chore rather than a delight upon which to dine.

"Honestly, Niklaus. With your lip curled in such utter disdain, you'll frighten away your dinner," Caroline mocked, stepping out from behind a thick hickory tree. She joined him, rubbing her hands together in glee as she watched the crowd flit about the town square, nothing more than a school of minnows unsuspectingly riding the current of their inconsequential lives. "These small-town gatherings somehow always remind me of the early festivals of the homeland."

She sighed with bittersweet nostalgia as she continued, "Your kinsmen would build fires that seared the sky, selecting the finest livestock to slaughter in my name. They would collect the rich blood and cover my altars for the blót ceremony, and then cleanly run their blades across the throats of their enemies before throwing them into peat bogs. Afterward, a noblewoman would present the sacred ale-horn with mead to the oath-bound warriors, bonding the rite." She smiled dreamily, lacing her fingers with his. "I sometimes would visit my consecrated gifts centuries after they had met their fate. It was such a fascinating sight to witness how their skin would shrivel and crisp upon their forms within the decaying earth, but never lose those final traces of humanity."

Klaus watched a rotund man gnawing passionately at an obscenely enormous fried turkey leg. He said wryly, "Yes, and now the equivalent is mundane festivals in which humans devour funnel cakes and fried meats until someone succumbs to a heart attack."

"Delayed gratification sacrifices _are_ appallingly inconvenient," Caroline pouted. She glanced around the festival and added moodily, "So this is where you were instead of by my side in the underworld? You missed quite the spectacle — a bit of flayed skin and a heretic's fork was all the motivation it took to coax out the screams today."

He replied coyly, "Forgive my rude ways, love. How _is_ Mikael?"

"Continuing to astound me with the infinite ways in which he curses our names," she responded primly. With a raised brow she asked, "I assume you are here to monitor the key players in our little game?"

"Of course," he said cheekily, "Always wise to learn all one can about the battlefield." He nodded toward an attractive brunette flawlessly dressed in an Escada sheath dress. "The mayor of this fair town, although not the most fascinating detail to note. She's Carol Lockwood, mother to Tyler Lockwood."

A look of understanding mixed with cunning calculation graced Caroline's delicate features. "Ah yes, our werewolf-to-be," she murmured. "And a key ingredient in your ritual to remove your curse. Once we assist him in triggering his werewolf gene," she amended. She pointed to a woman with a gentle smile waving to a pair of teenagers. "And there's the doppelganger's Aunt Jenna along with the adorable busboy Matt and his saucy sister Vicky Donovan." Her blue eyes narrowed as she saw Elijah and Damon leading the rest of their makeshift army into the woods. With a sigh, she jerked her chin toward the troublesome group. "Shall we make the necessary introductions?"

"Indeed." Klaus took her hand and began weaving them through the crowd. His eyebrows knit together and he commented, "I've observed that this town's events always seem to occur on a Thursday. It's quite curious."

A bystander handing out marsh marigold crowns overheard him and helpfully explained, "They tried shifting the events over to Fridays for a while, but people stopped attending. Plus, the events became incredibly convoluted and seemed less interesting to watch."

Klaus and Caroline nodded in understanding and slipped away from the crowd and into the woods. After a brief walk, they came upon a clearing where Elijah, Damon, Stefan, Elena, Jeremy, and Tyler were standing. Klaus smirked as the group seemed to take a collective breath at their arrival. "It appears we've lost the element of surprise as everyone seems to already know who we are."

Caroline smiled knowingly. "I suppose we weren't especially subtle." She glanced toward Damon who was glowering at her. "Damon, you look a touch gray. Tell me, is Mickey giving you a hard time? Do you find it taxing to choke down his _Steamboat Willie_?"

Stefan quickly stepped forward, holding his brother back. Shaking his head angrily he accused, "You did this to him! Fix him back, please!"

Caroline threw back her head, laughing. "Even before that foul vampire tried to force his dark plans upon me, I could sense his brutality. He is a loathsome creature that was in desperate need of a muzzle. Which I selflessly provided. You're welcome."

"Go to hell, bitch," Damon crudely yelled, his rage increasing at Caroline's amused expression.

"You aren't hurting anyone else," Elena called out in a shaky voice, trying and failing to stare down Klaus and Caroline. "Elijah is with us now and we'll never stop fighting!"

"Well, in that case, we should reconsider this centuries-old ambition; especially since _Elijah_ stands in our way," Caroline chuckled.

"Enough," Elijah shouted, his imperious gaze sweeping the assembled group as he straightened the lapels of his signature dark gray suit. "Clearly, you've come here to deliver a message. Get on with it," he commanded stiffly, glaring at Klaus and Caroline.

"Siding against us, Elijah? I suppose our message now has two parts, dear brother," Klaus said sharply with his gray eyes flashing gold. He raised his heavy boot-clad foot and soundly stomped the earth. Fissures appeared in the ground, racing toward Elijah, and a deep chasm erupted underneath the startled Original. Before he could gather his wits and flash away to safety, he fell gracelessly into the deep trench, which disappeared the moment it finished swallowing its reluctant meal. Tyler and Jeremy had rushed to the Original's aid far too late and were left staring in confusion at the suddenly smooth ground before them.

The group lapsed into a stunned silence. Their main weapon against Klaus and Caroline had been effortlessly disarmed. "Woah," Tyler said with wide, disbelieving eyes. "I didn't know Originals could do that."

"They can't," Caroline smugly said. "However, Klaus has been my consort for centuries." She mockingly glared at Klaus. "You do realize you just caused an earthquake in Oklahoma. Honestly, Niklaus. That temper of yours." She noticed the group's worried expressions and said reassuringly, "Fear not. Elijah will return soon. The earth has no interest in holding onto an Original before their time on this plane is complete."

Observing how Damon and Stefan had pushed Elena protectively behind them, Klaus clasped his hands behind his back, flashing innocent dimples at them. "Now, for the second part of our message: Stop. Stop working against us, stop researching ways to destroy us and prevent the ritual. In a few days' time, the moon will be full and everything will be in place for the ritual to commence. We will sacrifice a werewolf," he broke off to favor Tyler with a brief nod, "and a vampire," he gestured vaguely toward both Salvatores, "before draining the doppelganger. Then, my curse will be broken and we will be on our way." His tone took on an almost benevolent note as he added, "Give us these three deaths, and we will do no further harm."

"It's a generous covenant we offer," Caroline added, brushing aside a stray golden curl. "Three sacrifices is a mere pittance compared to the tributes I have demanded in the past."

Jeremy snorted derisively and said, "We know all about you! You're the evil goddess Hel and you kill people just because you can. You come from a whole crazy family of gods like your dad, Loki, and your brother, Fenrir. And there's Odin who did something to you that prevented some sort of Viking apocalypse and saved the whole world. So even Odin knew you were nuts! We'll never stop fighting you!"

Caroline's blue eyes turned to flames as she hissed, "You know nothing but the venomous lies of Odin." She viciously sliced open the boy's soft cheek with her sharp nails, causing rivulets of blood to flow freely. She licked the dripping gore from her fingers carefully, glowing embers continuing to burn in her gaze as she favored Klaus with a mischievous look. "What an unexpectedly unique taste. It makes me itch to learn what his skin will look like after a few centuries in a peat bog."

"Jeremy," Elena screamed, rushing to her brother as he cried out in pain. "You monster," she hissed at Caroline.

Sensing that the goddess would harm Elena for her insult, Stefan flashed in front of Caroline, shielding the doppelganger once more. "Please, leave here," his sad brown eyes urged Caroline. "You've delivered your message."

Caroline considered his plea. "Very well. Doppelganger," she addressed Elena, whose dark head was bent over her brother, trying to soothe him, "See to it that your brother minds his tongue. I'm not above teaching him another lesson if he forces my hand." She walked toward Klaus, clasping his hand firmly in hers.

Before they disappeared behind an old pecan tree, Klaus carelessly added, "This will be much more pleasant if we can learn to play nicely, children."

The couple reappeared behind the large oak tree in the backyard of their newly acquired property. Caroline pulled Klaus to her pink lips for a soft kiss. Breaking away with a warm smile, she said, "Soon my love, you will be whole again."

His steel gray eyes appraised her lovely face as he replied reverently, "All that I am is yours. All that I will be is yours. Take it, take it all, my goddess, for _I am yours_." He deepened their kiss, pushing her small body roughly against the crumbling tree bark. "Just as _you are mine_ ," he growled.

She groaned into their kiss, clutching his muscled back as he lifted her off her feet. With a sigh of regret, she ended their kiss, nipping his earlobe playfully. "Unfortunately, we have an impatient guest waiting for us inside. Not to mention our marvelous little spy will make an appearance shortly."

Klaus groaned in frustration. "I should carve my vexation into their hides." He led Caroline through the beautifully carved archway and into their sitting room. As he poured himself a drink, he addressed the figure perched in one of the wingbacks facing the fireplace. "Here to admonish me, brother?"

Elijah released a long-suffering sigh as he tugged at the crisp pleat of his trouser leg. "Niklaus, admonishing you at this late date seems a waste of breath." He arched an eyebrow and added in an irritated tone, "Your cheap magic trick does have the unpleasant consequence of spitting me out in that same abhorrent place. The shrill accents alone can send one to the very brink of madness."

Caroline took a sip of her hearty burgundy and asked wryly, "Ah yes, how was New Jersey, dear Elijah?"

He waved off her question and said, "I'm not here to discuss my brother's immature pranks. I'm here to inquire about your plans for the ritual. At this point, the witch Bonnie has yet to successfully make contact with her ancestors to seek their assistance in stopping you."

Klaus chuckled and raised his glass to toast Caroline. "You never fail to astonish me, love. Your suggestion all those centuries ago to spread the rumor that Elijah and I were at odds has been most useful. It's so much easier to learn of your enemies when they seek to plot with my brother." After taking a drink, he smirked at Elijah and added, "Not to worry, brother. We nearly have everything in place."

The three toasted their future success, but were interrupted by the doorbell. Wineglass in hand, Caroline left the sitting room and headed toward the foyer, her heels clacking against the smooth marble. She opened the heavy mahogany door to greet a woman whose innocent, gentle smile quickly turned into a knowing grin.

"Greetings, Aunt Jenna," Caroline said triumphantly.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Author's note: So a lot of you were confused/intrigued by the big reveal of the spy among the Mystic Falls gang; thanks for sticking with my story to find out what's going on! This is AU, so canon flits in and out of this story. Brace yourself: It gets turned on its head in this chapter. Also, I reference events that occurred in Chapter 3, so you may wish to re-read. I appreciate everyone's reviews and I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this latest installment.

Warning: Some delightful smut to be had later on in this chapter. Enjoy!

* * *

"His vanity swelled him so vile and rank

That he could hear no voices but his own.

He deserved to suffer and die."

— _Beowulf_

* * *

At Caroline's teasing tone, Aunt Jenna scowled, following Caroline into the sitting room. "I hate that name, as you well know," she huffed in annoyance. Swiping the offered wineglass from Elijah, she drank deeply before adding resolutely, " _I_ am Nadia Petrova."

"You certainly are cursed with the same petulant attitude as your mother, Katerina," Klaus declared with a lazy smirk.

"What business brings you here," Elijah commanded imperiously, the distaste in his voice apparent.

Caroline chuckled lightly, patting Elijah's shoulder in a soothing manner as she moved to sit on the arm of Klaus' chair. "You'll have to excuse dear Elijah. He just returned from a mildly inconvenient journey courtesy of Niklaus." She indulged Klaus with an amused grin before adding, "Also, Elijah's inherently judgmental of those who wield their duplicitous nature with such ease."

"I am a Petrova," Aunt Jenna said with fierce determination. "It is our nature to align ourselves with the power that best suits our needs. It is not shameful to do what one must to survive." She wrinkled her nose in distaste as she spat, "Like watching over the self-absorbed, doppelganger brat, pretending to care for her well-being, and lending a sympathetic ear to her ongoing whining and meaningless prattle."

Klaus's gray eyes twinkled with amusement. "From the time my goddess and I approached you and spoke of your bloodline's debt to our cause, I could see your swift calculation as you eagerly pledged your loyalty. You've been a devoted underling from the moment we turned you, always keeping a wary eye upon your single wayward offspring, who in turn begat their own which ensured the doppelganger bloodline continued."

"Except when your wary eye turned _wandering_ ," Caroline snarled unexpectedly. "Our benevolence throughout the centuries gave you certain privileges — you were allowed to flit about the world as you fancied — provided that you occasionally checked in on your lineage." Her tone darkened, "However, you became distracted by a pair of brothers during the Civil War and recklessly entangled yourself in Mystic Falls' utter nonsense when the council chose to purge its small town of its vampires. Niklaus and I had to intervene and clean up your debacle. We altered the memories of the townspeople so that your face faded from their minds. As for the Salvatore brothers — those wretched souls had the misfortune of dying with your blood in their veins. If it wasn't for the fact that they would play a role in our future designs, I would have never allowed their transition to take hold."

Klaus' brow furrowed as he recalled the trouble their henchman had caused. "We couldn't very well allow your mundane lovers to remember you, especially since Caroline knew of their misadventures with our future ritual."

Caroline carelessly brushed back a stray blonde curl as she acidly added, "We erased you from their thoughts, forcing them to believe their sire was a faceless vampire that died in the church fire that purged the town of its malevolent creatures. What considerable inconvenience you caused, child. We should have kept you on a tighter leash."

"Your leash has tightened these past decades," Aunt Jenna huffed in annoyance.

"Ah yes, you speak of the humanity spell I've placed upon you," Caroline said with a vicious smile. "A prudent precaution given your previous deplorable history with this town. When I marked the precise moment it became necessary to embed you within this town's memories once more, the spell I wove needed to not only convince everyone who had ever associated with the Gilbert family that you had been a part of it for the past 30-plus years, but also that you were unquestionably human. Your past indiscretions have demonstrated that you require a firm hand to maintain focus of your goal."

Elijah cleared his throat, raising a critical eyebrow as he asked, "Forgive my impertinence, but why you have placed your trust in such an unprincipled creature? What prevents her from meddling in your plans?"

Aunt Jenna harshly glared at the Original, clearly resisting the urge to toss the rest of her wine at the smooth, clean lines of his suit. "They can trust me because I know that I am at the end of my bond to them. These centuries have tasked me with overseeing the doppelganger bloodline, to ensure its prosperity. I have watched over and protected the latest doppelganger, Elena, because I know that upon my delivery of this key ingredient to Klaus' ritual, I will be released from my bond. I will be free," she said with relish, a wildness settling into her gaze as she brought the red wine to her calculating smile once more.

"Indeed, your release is imminent," Caroline agreed. "Now, tell me what urgent news has brought you here," she commanded.

"I've come to warn you that the witch has made contact with her ancestors. It appears they have imbued her with their power and they believe it will be enough to stop the ritual and eliminate you both," Aunt Jenna gravely said.

Klaus smirked, coiling his fingers within Caroline's as he gazed at her reverently. "The little Bennet witch is such a determined creature, isn't she, sweetheart?"

With a delighted laugh, Caroline declared, "I like Bonnie. She has a definite spark. It will be such a shame if her death proves unavoidable."

"I do so enjoy your nefarious schemes, love. Like that poor executive producer of that silly little television show you delight in torturing," Klaus coyly teased.

With an impish grin, Caroline laughed, "Ah yes, the public is convinced this insignificant mortal with his inexplicable tirades is a delusional hack with a Napoleon complex." Biting her lower lip, she revealed, "Of course, they would _never_ guess that the _actual_ spirit of Napoleon, driven to the brink of madness, possesses him as we speak." She shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly, "It makes it funny."

Suddenly, both Elijah's and Aunt Jenna's phones began ringing, indicating that the Mystic Falls gang was reconvening to formulate a plan, no doubt emboldened by Bonnie's success. Upon their exit from the mansion, Klaus pulled Caroline into his lap, brushing her soft curls from her face. "What do you say we treat ourselves to an elaborate dinner and then move on to an elaborate dessert in our bedchamber, my goddess?"

Arching her back with a contented sigh, she purred, "And what will be on the dinner menu? I find myself suddenly ravenous."

"I've procured a delicious adobo sauce and intend to make a succulent pork stew perfect for tacos," Klaus revealed.

She pouted, "While your pork adobo is spectacular, I still long for those magical days of decadent, Diablo sauce-smothered Taco Bell delights." With a sorrowful sigh she added, "And then Odin in his wickedness discontinued the sauce. Curse him for taking away yet another thing I love!"

"One day, my goddess, we shall face Odin together and teach him the lesson he sorely deserves," Klaus vowed.

A flicker of apprehension made its way across Caroline's face, but she quickly schooled her features into her typical look of disdain that accompanied any mention of Odin. "Enough talk of him, Niklaus. I find myself craving a pre-dinner banquet." Klaus shifted uncomfortably underneath her, his interest piqued. She quickly closed his soft lips with a firm finger and admonished, "No. You will not speak until I permit it. My impertinent consort must have his turn to be punished."

Rising up from his lap and placing a knee on either side of his narrow hips, she held her palms aloft, a crackling in the air the only hint of the power that simmered just beneath her ivory surface. When she clasped her hands together, she felt the heft of the iron objects she called forth. Holding her palms open for Klaus, she smiled coyly at his eager inspection. He reveled in the hard edges of his goddess. She traced the crescent shapes of the axe heads, barely pricking her fingers. The blood that trickled from her fingertips made him shiver with need.

She cruelly withheld her life force from his trembling lips and instead shot forward with blinding speed, driving the sharp edges of the twin axe heads through the fabric of his henley and into the tall wingback's wooden frame.

Klaus hissed in pleasurable pain, his dark veins playfully peeking out from underneath his lashes as the skin of his shoulders split neatly under the brute force of the heavy iron blades. Caroline eagerly lapped at the rivulets of blood that trickled from his wounds, moaning with desire as she sated her thirst for her lover. Pulling away with a messy smile, she finally dangled her dripping fingers above his lips, her tone a curious blend of commanding and pleading as she said, "Drink of me and be sated my love."

He curled his long tongue around her torn skin, barely withholding a groan of satisfaction as her powerful taste seeped into his veins. Noting his obvious discomfort at being forced to remain silent, she wickedly rocked her hips into his, brushing against his growing desire for her. His beautiful body was coiled tightly as he endured her torturously slow movements, and she sighed in contentment as she languidly said, "You may speak. Tell me of your need, Niklaus."

"My need for my goddess can never be sated," Klaus growled as he used his sharp teeth to shred the front of her peasant blouse. Despite the restraints of the iron blades, he was able to lean forward and dip his nose into the intoxicating aroma of her exposed breasts, the pale skin surrounding him in the seductive scent that his caged wolf immediately recognized as his home. He took a delicate pink tip into his eager mouth, flicking his tongue teasingly across the hardened nipple. Her soft sigh spurred him on as he suckled and gently tugged at her soft flesh. Releasing her ivory globe with a moist kiss, he vowed, "Your delectable body compels me to curl my cock into your slick heat."

A twisted grin of Caroline's sweet lips was her only reply as she quickly pulled out his stiffening length. She placed firm strokes upon his rigid flesh, delighting in the nearly painful hisses she pulled from him. Feeling her own desires rushing to the surface, she pushed her skirt past her knees and placed his reddened tip at her warm entrance. Sliding her body smoothly against his, she closed her eyes at the satisfying sense of completion she experienced whenever he filled her. Rotating her hips to chase the perfect angle, she parted her thighs wide to cradle his girth.

"That's it, love," he grunted as he thrust more firmly against her core, "spread those lovely thighs for me."

She arched her back as she rode his powerful body, leaning back until her palms touched the wooden floor. Her skirt tumbled to her waist, giving him the erotic view of his cock driving into her trembling flesh. "Niklaus," she moaned, grinding into his pelvis. At his answering groan, their bodies shuddered as they chased the peak of ecstasy. They remained a tangle of sweat-soaked limbs, a peaceful calm settling over them.

Of course, this peace would be temporary. Tomorrow promised to be a rather trying day for their enemies.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Author's note: I was really happy to hear from so many of you in the last chapter; apparently the plot twist about "Aunt Jenna" was something no one saw coming but that everyone seemed to like. This chapter will remind us that in this alternate universe, Caroline is a powerful character with a darker side — when she believes it is warranted. Also, we're taking a surprising twist with canon again. Events in Chapter 3 are referenced, so you may wish to reread. And the story about the spider is one from my childhood. If you're curious, you can read about it on my Tumblr supremeuppityone. Happy reading and please let me know what you think!

* * *

"Fate will unwind as it must!"  
― _Beowulf_

* * *

"If you add mulled wine to the dried burdock, you'll find it enhances the potency," Caroline said in a helpful tone, stepping out from behind a pine tree in Bonnie's back yard.

Bonnie jumped at the unexpected arrival, her heart starting to pound in fear as she eyed the intruder warily. She carefully set down the clay bowl over which she had been chanting and asked suspiciously, "The potency of what?"

Caroline shrugged her shoulders carelessly, gesturing toward the messy picnic table where Bonnie had constructed a makeshift altar. "The potency of your protection spell. Burdock is traditionally used to ward off the evil eye, so one would assume you are creating a barrier ritual." She smiled at Bonnie's bewildered expression and added, "We haven't been properly introduced. I am the Goddess Hel, but you may call me _Caroline_. And you are Bonnie Bennet, the last heir of the Bennet witches."

"My mother is alive," Bonnie corrected her. "She left me when I was a kid, but my father and I would have heard if she had passed away."

Caroline raised an eyebrow. "I see." She sighed and pushed aside dried bundles of herbs to take a seat across from the trembling teenager. She hoped that the witch had enough sense not to attempt to use the borrowed power her ancestors had bestowed upon her. At least not until it was time. No reason to spoil that particular surprise just yet. She studied the lovely young woman before her. Her dark eyes reflected fear but also bravery and a stubborn determination to protect those around her. Caroline's blue eyes twinkled merrily as she declared, "I like you, Bonnie. You have a noble soul. An honorable human is such a rare find."

Confusion marred Bonnie's face as she protested, "You don't know anything about me, much less see into my soul."

"I know enough," Caroline said lightly. "When you were seven, you became enthralled by a spider that had spun a web outside your window. You even named her _Charlotte_ after that children's book. With the giving nature that only childhood innocence can create, you became concerned that Charlotte was hungry, and you often caught grasshoppers to throw into her web." At Bonnie's startled expression, Caroline smiled warmly. "It's that same generous spirit that I see in you now, little witch." Her tone suddenly turned dark as she added, "I respect you and the Bennet line, but do not mistake me. I _always_ protect what's mine."

They were interrupted by Damon suddenly speeding into the yard, yanking Bonnie away from the picnic table and pushing her behind him as he squared his shoulders and faced Caroline. He said spitefully, "We're going to have to extend that magical barrier of yours to include our yards, Bonnie. Your spell's shortcomings will let in all kinds of riff-raff."

"Clearly," Caroline dryly agreed.

"What do you want," he asked harshly.

Caroline studied the dark-haired vampire, clearly taking his measure and finding him lacking. She could barely keep the disdain from her voice as she pronounced, "I am here to offer you a pact. As a sign of good faith."

He scoffed, "Not interested."

"Even if it will save your precious doppelganger," she asked with a raised eyebrow. "Surely that must be worth your time."

"You're here to save Elena," Bonnie asked suspiciously.

"I came to offer a pact," Caroline corrected. "Saving the doppelganger is irrelevant to me. I've wielded lives as currency since the dawn of my existence. What I propose is simple: Allow Niklaus to drain the doppelganger of her blood during the ritual and though she may die, I will release her."

Damon narrowed his eyes and said incredulously, "You would allow her to live again? She would be saved?"

"You have my word that she will be released," Caroline said solemnly as she met his dark gaze.

"What do you want as a trade," Bonnie asked carefully, no longer standing behind Damon as her curiosity overcame her fear of the powerful goddess.

She bowed her blonde head as her tone adopted a hint of regret. "Nature requires a steep price for this magic. You must barter a life for a life."

Bonnie gasped, "No!"

"Any life," Damon asked slowly, gesturing to Bonnie to be silent.

Caroline's mouth twisted into a wry smile as she shrugged, "Well, I could make some suggestions if your group's signature indecisiveness becomes an obstacle."

"No," Damon said firmly. "If you're telling the truth and it will save Elena, kill me instead." He looked at Bonnie's horrified expression and added, "Of course, Bonnie here will need to verify your claim with her ancestors. We aren't in the habit of making deals with evil bitches."

"Really," Caroline asked with a small chuckle. "I seem to recall your little group has struck an alliance with Elijah." She leaned forward and said in a conspiratorial whisper, "He can be quite evil. _And_ a bitch. I'd watch my back with that one." She winked at Damon's scowl and added, "At the very least, little vampire, you may want to watch him around your precious doppelganger. He has a bit of a history with them, you see. All very scandalous."

Damon shook his head in irritation. "It doesn't matter. Elena loves my noble brother Stefan." His eyes darkened as he added bitterly, "You planned this all along, didn't you? Me sacrificing my life for Elena's. This is what you meant when you said you'd have your revenge on me, isn't it?"

Caroline favored him with a vicious smile. "Perhaps." She gestured to Bonnie and said, "Little witch, feel free to confirm my generous offer with your ancestors. They'll tell you what you need to know." She rubbed her hands together as her blue eyes lit up in excitement. "We required a vampire sacrifice for the ritual, so this works out perfectly."

Before she could continue, Stefan flashed behind her, tossing two handfuls of dried herbs onto her golden curls and back. As the scattered bits swirled around her in a perfumed cloud, a faint trace of smoke rose from her bare shoulders where her navy dress did not reach. Hissing at the unexpected intrusion, she glanced back at Stefan who seemed frozen under her icy gaze. "Seriously?" She rose from the picnic table, her anger easily blasting apart the rickety wood until splinters rained down upon them all. She shook out the chiffon material with a delicate touch, trying to brush away the remnants of the potion. "This is Ramy Brook, you insufferable twit," she growled at Stefan. As her fingertips brushed against the remaining crumbs, she hissed as it burned. Cocking an eyebrow at Bonnie, she inquired, "Anise leaves with juniper?" As she waved away the final tendrils of the offensive odor that lingered upon her skin she added, "With a hint of rue? You _have_ done your homework, little witch."

"Anise leaves are good for protection circles and to ward off evil. Juniper and rue have properties of protection," Bonnie said warily, her confidence shaken as she observed how easily Caroline fought off the hex.

"Leave Bonnie alone, it was my idea to attack you," Stefan said forcefully, flashing in front of Bonnie to shield her.

Caroline's peach-colored lips twisted into a grin. "Playing the hero, Stefan? What an _uncomfortable_ concept that must be for one such as you." She purposefully stepped forward until she could reach out to graze the side of his face with one sharp nail.

At Damon's sharp intake of breath, she chuckled darkly. "Worried I wish to thrust my nails into your brother's skull and devour what I find there," she asked. At Stefan's terrified expression, she shook her head and said mockingly, "You have no reason to fear that, little vampire. I have no interest in eating your pituitary gland. I can only imagine how repellant that dried up, hormoneless sac of flesh would taste because of your mundane, vanilla doppelganger liaisons." As she allowed her touch to linger on his skin, streaks of gray threaded their way across his jawline, signaling desiccation.

Damon screamed, "You bitch! What are you doing to him?" Before he could grab at her arm, foolishly thinking his meager supernatural strength could halt her actions, Caroline leveled her relentless gaze at him, her power forcing him to his knees.

Bonnie cried out, mindlessly pulling at Caroline's hand. "Please! I'm sorry I made the spell! Don't hurt him!"

Caroline kept her hand against Stefan's graying cheek, removing Bonnie's hand with a slight shove of her power. "Bonnie," she crooned in an indulgent tone, "Are you sure dear Stefan is worth your protection?" Gazing deeply into Stefan's sad brown eyes she asked, "How often did you turn away as your foul brother hunted innocence and violated his way through his worthless immortal life?"

Stefan struggled under her scalding touch as it continued to spread its disease, unable to move away. "Damon isn't like that anymore," he protested weakly.

Arching a delicate brow, she spat, "Do tell, because just a few nights ago, Damon mistakenly assumed I was a helpless girl and tried to compel me to follow him into a filthy alley. I'm quite sure from his despicable grin his intentions weren't to carry my schoolbooks and politely walk me to my door."

Bonnie glared at Damon, pointedly moving away from his form still forced into a kneeling position. She angrily exclaimed, "It's not Stefan's fault that Damon has done those awful things!"

"Oh, sweet Bonnie," the sharp edge of Caroline's soft laugh apparent, "Stefan's punishment isn't _merely_ because of his blatant refusal to stop his brother's depravity." She paused, taking a moment to tickle the underside of his quivering chin with her nails. "Do you know that Stefan has his own _ripper_ past? He watched his brother carefully all these years, learning from him, and then far surpassing him in wretched deeds."

"No," Bonnie's strangled cry rang out helplessly.

Caroline studied Bonnie with a dark gleam in her blue eyes. "Are you curious to know, little witch, the dark thoughts Stefan's had about _you_ all this time?" Shifting her fathomless stare back to the frightened vampire in her clutches she rasped, "My, oh my. How _often_ he's sat outside your bedroom window, scratching at the red bricks, a little deeper each evening. It tickles his fancy to debate whether that night will be when he finally makes his dark fantasies come true. Why do you think he's so _protective_ of you whenever Damon comes close to harming you? He isn't protecting you from his sadistic brother. He's saving you for _himself_."

Bonnie stepped back, shaking her head in protest. She tried to capture Stefan's eyes, hoping to find reassurance there that the goddess was lying. When his guilty gaze slithered away from her too quickly, she turned to look at Damon, who met her horrified gaze unflinchingly, but with a hint of remorse that spoke volumes.

"You're still conflicted, I see," Caroline nodded in acceptance. "Very well then, I shall tell you another of his secrets." She sank her nails into his throat, bringing his rapidly desiccating face closer to hers as she examined him closely, plucking at his racing thoughts like a harp. Flames licked at her glittering irises as she found what she was searching for. In a deadly whisper she revealed, "Your mother, Abby, stopped by for a glimpse of you when you were in the park playing. She was hidden behind trees because she chose to stay away, but she needed to see you. It had been so long since she left and you had just turned 10. Unfortunately, as she made her way through the woods to remain undetected, she happened to cross paths with Stefan."

At Bonnie's startled gasp, she turned away from Stefan to address Bonnie directly. In a mater-of-fact tone she explained, "You see, his fondness for pretty witches was far too strong for him to ignore."

Stefan's painful groan caught her attention and she cocked her head as she eyed him curiously. "Do you recall where you buried her remains, Stefan? Or do those poor women all blur together after a while?"

Bonnie's tears flowed freely as she croaked, "These are lies. Tell me how she lies!" She hugged her shaking body as she sobbed.

Stefan turned his head away from Caroline's burning gaze, but not before Bonnie caught how his trademark warm brown eyes had darkened with the telltale lust of the unrepentant. She ventured a look at Damon's huddled form, still trapped in Caroline's magic. Her pitiful squeak of "Damon?" shattered the air around them.

Damon merely shook his head, unable to look at the crying girl. He addressed the earth instead, and in a hopeless tone, his only reply was, "Bonnie."

At Bonnie's cry of anguish, Caroline flatly asked, "Do you still desire for me to spare him, sweet Bonnie?"

The teenager straightened her spine as she stared at Stefan still squirming under Caroline's iron grasp. Her innocent face may have been damp with sorrow, but her voice grew strong as she calmly replied, "No."

With a self-satisfied smirk at Damon's whimper, Caroline remove her claws from Stefan's shriveled neck and clenched her fist, accelerating the desiccation until he was a bloodless shell. Pursing her delicate lips, she blew softly, summoning a breeze to crumble his remains into dust. As the final scraps of Stefan sank into the ground, she knew his essence would find its way into her collection of souls in the underworld. She would make sure of that.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Author's note: Thank you for all of your reviews and support with my latest installment! (Congrats to TwilightHybrid for being my 50th review!) This chapter references events from Chapters 4 and 6 in case you wish to reread. It seems I'm not the only one that's been harboring ill will against Stefan this season. It was cathartic to punish him for the awful, misogynistic turn his character has taken on the show. Frankly, last night's latest decision his character made to take away yet another choice from Caroline was foul and disgusting and I would very much like to resurrect his character just to kill him all over again.

Warning: Some sexy-times smut at the beginning. Also, plot gets a bit dark and possibly triggering for some later on.

* * *

"Now my course is tough:

Death, close sister of Odin's enemy

stands on the ness:

with resolution and without remorse

I shall gladly await my own."

— _Sonatorrek_ by Egill Skallagrímsson

* * *

Caroline gripped Klaus' sweat-slicked thigh, letting her sharp nails sink into his flesh as he continued his powerful thrusts into her mouth. Her tongue danced along his rigid flesh, savoring the spicy, salty flavor of his unique taste. She moaned, sending a pleasant vibration through his body, making him twitch.

"That's it, love," he grunted, "tug on my cock; make me come for you."

She teased his taut skin with the razor edges of her teeth, causing delicious bursts of pain to manifest within him. She held him on the precipice of an agony so sweet, he bit his tongue, the rich iron causing his vision to flare golden.

She slowly licked the underside of his member, ending her delightful torture with forceful suction on his swollen red tip. She placed punishing kisses along the sides, eagerly cupping his delicate sac with her palm. She flicked her eyes over his handsome face, the blue darkening with lust as she watched him lick his full lips. With a knowing grin, she added just the right amount of pressure to her fingers, massaging and rolling his skin as he moaned helplessly. She placed her soft cheek against his quivering sac, rubbing teasing circles as he ground his pelvis into her upturned face.

"Your goddess wants you to come, Niklaus," Caroline purred, stroking his erection with confident, smooth swipes of her hand.

Klaus grit his teeth in concentration, violently rocking his hips while trying to prolong his pleasure.

"My consort wishes to be obstinate," she mocked, nipping at his leaking tip. "I've spent centuries unraveling you, Niklaus. Your secret places are no mystery to me." The steel gray of his gaze was a silent challenge she readily accepted. She captured his cock in her warm mouth, pulling on his length until he was completely ensconced. As her pale pink lips brushed the crisp hair of his pelvis, he grunted in delight, jerking wildly in her mouth.

She slid two fingers down her body, delighting in the sensual feel of the scalloped lace edges of the La Perla she wore. Easing her tips into the seductive cutout near her dripping core, she swiped her aching folds, coating them in her arousal. She quickly removed her fingers, the scent of her need causing Klaus' hooded gaze to seep liquid gold once more. She continued her slow suckling of his swollen member, and could feel he was desperate for release. He just needed that final push into ecstasy that only she could provide. She caressed his flexing buttocks with her desire-slicked palm, noting how he shook with anticipation.

Carefully slipping her fingers between his cheeks, she rubbed her dew along his twitching cleft, pulling a desperate moan from him. She plucked at the tight ring of muscles she found there, teasing him with her soaked fingers, only barely easing in the tips before removing them once more in a saucy dance.

"Please, love," Klaus begged with a strangled groan. "I need you to," he panted.

Caroline temporarily removed her mouth from his cock to command, "Show me your _need_ , my love." She quickly returned her mouth to his pulsing erection and plunged both fingers deep within his exquisitely snug hole, pumping furiously as he shouted himself hoarse, emptying himself into her welcoming mouth.

With a satisfied smirk, he quickly pulled her to her feet, kissing her soundly. "You are a bloody miracle, my goddess," he growled. As he moved to pick her up and flash them to a bedroom, she placed a hand on his firm chest to stop him.

"Regretfully, we'll have to continue this later," she sighed in irritation. "We soon will have an unexpected guest." Grumbling to herself, she quickly disappeared upstairs to change into something more appropriate to greet the unwelcome visitor.

While pulling back on his discarded clothes, Klaus called after her curiously, "Would this inconvenient interruption have anything to do with the Salvatore situation?"

"Which one? The deceased sadistic murderer or the grieving sadistic rapist," she asked in amusement.

"Both I suppose," Klaus responded, smiling as she descended the stairs in a snug pair of jeans and a simple cream blouse. "While I applaud casual killing, love, I find that removing Stefan in such a brutal fashion may make Damon reluctant to trade his life to resurrect the doppelganger."

Arching her brow, she defiantly decreed, "There was nothing _casual_ about my actions. Stefan was a hideous monster that was far too well-hidden. I don't appreciate unprincipled predators." Shrugging her shoulders, she added, "Damon's feelings on the matter are irrelevant. The doppelganger is about to unwittingly force his hand. Soon, he will _beg_ me to take part in my generous pact."

Before Klaus could respond, they were interrupted by a desperate hammering on the front door. Caroline held Klaus' arm for a moment, preventing him from speeding to the foyer. "It will keep for a moment," she said impishly, pulling down his face to meet her smiling lips. Their tongues flirted and danced against each other, coyly circling as they continued to kiss despite the visitor outside their door hysterically yelling and banging away. With a playful shove, she turned the brass handle and casually opened the heavy mahogany door.

A wild-eyed Damon stood on their doorstep, clearly trying to reign in his heightened emotions, but failing spectacularly.

"Ah, Damon, what a thoroughly unwelcome surprise," Klaus taunted.

Damon ignored the smirking Original and glared at Caroline. "Elena swallowed a bunch of pills after she found out about Stefan. Left a stupid note saying she didn't want to be here without my brother." He grit his teeth angrily, "You knew this was going to happen, didn't you? That's why you didn't bother trying to force me into taking your fucking deal."

Klaus raised an eyebrow in surprise. "That is unfortunate." Crossing his arms, he added mildly, "And you've interrupted our perfectly pleasant evening to…?"

Throwing his hands up in the air in aggravation, Damon exclaimed, "To save Elena, you bastard! Jeremy got her to the hospital but she's in a coma fading fast and Bonnie says the ancestors refuse to help revive her." His dark eyes glittered as he maliciously spat, "No doppelganger, no ritual. So you have no choice but to save her."

"Untrue," Caroline teased, resting her hand upon the back of Klaus' neck to toy with his curls. "There's _always_ a choice. Our existence is naught but a series of choices." She leaned closer to Damon, taking in his pallid complexion and sweaty brow. "You think to force our hand because you believe you possess something we value." Clucking her tongue and giving her cascading waves a quick shake, she corrected him: "Doppelgangers aren't _nearly_ as rare as you think. Nature spews forth one every few centuries or so. For beings such as we, that's a momentary pause, a mere trifle."

At Damon's incredulous expression, Klaus chuckled. "Of course, we would prefer to use _this_ doppelganger with _this_ bloodline. However, I've learned infinite patience and trust in my Caroline to guide me to break my curse when the time comes."

"All right," Damon swallowed hard. "What do you want? You want me to take your deal, right? Bonnie checked with the ancestors and they told her you would hold up your end of the bargain." He shook his head, his eyes hot with unshed tears. "They said if Elena was drained in the ritual, you would use your powers to release her. She'd be safe. All you want is for someone to trade their life for hers, right?"

"A life for a life seems fair," Caroline agreed.

The distraught vampire nodded slowly. "Fine. If you save her today and swear to bring her back after Klaus' ritual is complete, you can sacrifice my life for Elena's."

Caroline swirled her fingers through Klaus' dirty blonde curls, considering the vampire's offer. "I require a small token for my benevolence, little vampire." Her pale pink lips curved into a wicked smile. "Beg."

Shaking with anger, he finally opened his mouth only to be stopped by her imperious tone. "No, on your knees, dog," she commanded.

A muscle in Damon's pale cheek twitched as he scowled. His unrequited love for the doppelganger drove his knees to the stone floor. He clenched his fists as he looked up at Klaus and Caroline, his tone full of disdain and despair in equal measure. "Please, save Elena. I'm begging you."

Caroline nodded and said, "Very well. Return to your doppelganger's bedside. I shall be there shortly." With his dark eyes full of bitterness, he flashed away.

Klaus sighed, pulling her into his arms to kiss the top of her blonde head. "You realize, love, this brokered truce is absurdly temporary. With the date of our ritual nearly upon us, they will plot against us again."

She smiled knowingly. "Of course, that's what makes all of this so enjoyable." She turned around to face him, smoothing out his collar as she instructed, "While I'm tending to this troublesome doppelganger errand, I'll need you to stop by the library and _dissuade_ Jeremy and Tyler from their scholarly pursuits."

At his questioning look, she explained, "Elijah came around earlier and divulged that the boys believe if they explore Norse mythology more closely, they may find a weakness of mine to exploit. He had intended to take care of this nonsense himself, but the doppelganger's selfish act required him to be at her bedside, standing guard in case nefarious villains came calling."

Klaus scoffed, "Silly creatures. What could they possibly find? There are no secrets between us and there's nothing for them to uncover." He waved an arm carelessly as he kissed the tip of her nose. "Let them toil away on this fool's errand."

She lightly stroked his cheek, the scrape of his stubble against her fingers causing her to shiver pleasantly. "Still, Niklaus, it would ease my mind to know that any lies of Odin's making will be nothing more than a fleeting thought to our enemies."

His gray eyes flashed dangerously as he growled, "Consider it done. No one will harm my goddess." He pulled her into his strong body, kissing her in a passionate frenzy before flashing away into the night.

Caroline watched him disappear, apprehension momentarily evident in her blue gaze, but she immediately banished those thoughts. After all, she guarded her secrets well.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Author's note: Hi everybody! Lots of questions with the last chapter, which makes me so happy that people are excited about my work! To answer your main question: Yes, Caroline is hiding something big from Klaus. But, she has a very good reason for keeping it to herself and it will be revealed in time. Events from Chapters 3 and 4 are referenced here so you may wish to reread them. The book Jeremy and Tyler are quoting from is a collection of Nordic sagas from _Heimskringla_ by Snorri Sturlason. It's actually a fascinating read, although perhaps only if you're an English major. :)

Warning: Some violence.

* * *

Now my course is tough:

Death, close sister  
of Odin's enemy  
stands on the ness:  
with resolution and without remorse  
I shall gladly await my own.

— _Sonatorrek_ by Egill Skallagrímsson

* * *

"Off from the wind with swelling sail, we merrily scud before the gail," Jeremy wearily read aloud, trying to make sense of the words. "What the hell is a _scud_ ," he asked disdainfully.

Tyler snorted. "Dunno, kinda sounds like what that freshman did in his shorts that time we locked him outside the locker room in just his boxers," he suggested, grinning evilly at the memory.

Jeremy rolled his eyes. "Why did I think it was a good idea to bring you along? Your grades were worse than mine last year and I was high all the time!"

"Whatever. At least you're reading about some cool battle. I've been staring at this stupid poem about 'Halfdan's Strife with Gandalf's Sons' forever and I _still_ can't figure out what's going on. I think I missed that _Lord of the Rings_ movie though." He threw his pencil at the dingy ceiling and made a pleased murmur when the sharpened point stuck neatly between water-damaged tiles.

"Okay, you do realize that Tolkien wrote that stuff like centuries after this Snorri guy, right," Jeremy asked teasingly, but with enough hesitancy in his voice to make it obvious that he wasn't sure that his co-researcher was kidding.

Tyler grinned, "Hey, wasn't 'Snorey' one of the seven dwarves?" At his companion's withering stare, he held up his hands in surrender. "Kidding!" He noted the furrow in Jeremy's brow as he started writing down notes from the text he was reading. "Find anything," he asked hopefully.

"I'm not sure," Jeremy said uncertainly, flipping back through his notes with the edge of his green highlighter. "Raises the voice which gives them cheer. First in the track of wolf or bear. His master voice drives them along to Hel — a destined, trembling throng." He sighed and twirled his pen between his fingers. "It's the first time Caroline's been mentioned as the goddess Hel in this book, so maybe we're on the right track."

"Maybe," Tyler echoed uncertainly. "There's hardly anything we know about her. You know, other than the fact that she's an insanely hot blonde. And, you know, also insane." He stretched his arms behind his back, emitting a popping noise as he tried to find a more comfortable position in the hard plastic chair. "Man, Klaus is one lucky bastard to be banging that on the regular," he added wistfully.

Jeremy snorted derisively. "Dude, she'll break you in half and she'll make you watch while she eats the pieces slowly."

Tyler grinned foolishly. "Don't really see the downside if Caroline wants to eat me."

"No, man, seriously. She'll eat you, like for real," Jeremy said in a scared tone. "She ate Damon." He frowned as he recalled Damon's pale, sweaty skin as he had shakily revealed the messy wounds from his encounter with Caroline and Klaus. "And then Klaus ate Damon while she watched."

Tyler's eyes widened as he exclaimed, "Dude seriously? That's some kinky shit, man. I don't know if I could get on board with _all_ that, but you know she's got to have some stamina…" he trailed off wistfully.

Jeremy glared at his companion, shaking his head as he absentmindedly ran his finger over the deep laceration on his cheek that had yet to fully heal. During the confrontation in the woods several days ago, Caroline had sliced his face open with her claws and despite Bonnie's best magical interventions, he would carry that scar the rest of his life.

"What? I can hate her and still think she's hot. I'm an untriggered werewolf and we're horny all the fucking time," Tyler said defensively, throwing another pencil at the ceiling and frowning when it failed to stick next to his other pencil.

Jeremy rolled his eyes, flipping to the next chapter in the heavy volume in front of him. "Whatever. Doubt it's that different from being a regular guy."

"Ha, trust me, you're lucky. You have no idea what this is like," Tyler responded with a heavy sigh as he reluctantly turned back to his book.

"Can you focus please? We're supposed to be doing research." He angrily flipped through pages adding, "Actually, I'm _supposed_ to be at the hospital with my sister, but Damon swears he'll work out a deal with Caroline to heal Elena. And he made me promise to keep looking for something to help us stop Caroline and Klaus." He rubbed his forehead tiredly. "There's gotta be something here. I mean, you saw how she freaked out that day in the woods when I mentioned Odin and the rest of those crazy Norse gods. We're missing something and we need to find it now."

Tyler nodded and glanced back through the few messy notes he had made. "So far, all we know is that the myths say Odin ruled the Norse gods and was the first to practice something called 'soul manipulation' and was the best at it out of all of the gods."

Jeremy slammed the yellowed pages shut in aggravation. "Yeah, but we still don't know what 'soul manipulation' actually means. Also, Odin supposedly stopped a Viking apocalypse that had something to do with Caroline. But we don't know anything about that either."

"Don't sound so crestfallen, lads," Klaus' voice mocked them from the shadows. He stepped out from behind a tall bookcase where he had observed the boys' conversation somewhat impatiently, as evidenced by the crushed book he held in his hands. Its thick spine had not fared well under Klaus' angry grip as Tyler foolishly had waxed poetic on Caroline's stamina. He tossed the mangled book onto the middle of the round table where they sat. "That one's my favorite about Caroline. Not a stellar translation of _Poetic Edda_ , but I do enjoy the ethereal quality of the writing when it inaccurately describes Hel's kingdom." He smirked at the boys' terrified expressions. "I look forward to giving you both a tour soon. It's something that cannot be simply read — it must be _experienced_."

"You — you can't hurt us here," Jeremy said bravely despite his quavering voice. "You need Tyler for your werewolf sacrifice and besides, Elijah's witch friends put protection spells on us!"

Tyler stood up beside Jeremy, fear creeping into his eyes. He was slightly better at keeping his voice steady as he added, "Plus Bonnie added her own spells after she found out those herbs can burn Caroline!"

Klaus' gray eyes darkened as he hissed, "It would be wise not to mention harming Caroline in my presence." Black veins crawled across his face as he stalked toward the cowering teenagers. "Fortunately for you both, my mission at the moment is one of reconnaissance. I just have a few harmless questions and then you can be on your merry little way."

"We're on vervain; you can't compel us," Jeremy said triumphantly, his back grazing the metal bookcase behind him as he leaned as far away from Klaus as he could.

"Hmm, vervain, you say," Klaus said softly. "Since you'll both be in a sharing mood soon enough, perhaps I'll let you in on _my_ little secret…as consort, I don't suffer the usual limitations of vampires." He clasped his hands behind his back, his dark pupils wide as he commanded them both with a calming lilt to his voice, "Now, let's start with Damon. Tell me, how is he faring with his brother's untimely demise?" He smirked at the boys who blankly stared back at him.

"He is all over the place. He's obsessed with stopping you and saving Elena one minute and the next, he's a hysterical mess," Jeremy said flatly, his features uncharacteristically relaxed.

Klaus nodded in satisfaction. "Ah, so he suffers then — good. Caroline would want him to suffer for his sins. I suspect much of his ineffectual rage stems from the fact that he can no longer maim and murder indiscriminately as he once did. It seems this town owes my goddess a debt."

He glanced at Tyler and asked, "And what of the little witch? Caroline tells me she was seen at the Salvatore house with you and the doppelganger. What spell was she performing?"

Tyler's body sagged under the weight of Klaus' compulsion, and his emotionless voice explained, "She was helping Elijah's witches with a barrier spell. Elena and I will be safe at the Salvatore mansion. You won't be able to get to us and will miss your window for the ritual tomorrow night."

Klaus smirked. "Oh my, that does sound formidable." He turned his fierce gaze to the doppelganger's brother once more and asked, "And what of you? Will you be under the protection of this mighty spell at the Salvatore residence?"

"No, Aunt Jenna, Matt and I will be safe at our house under the same protection spell," Jeremy easily confessed, his blank expression unsettling to behold.

"Well, well, your little group has thought of everything then," Klaus said, his rich voice dripping with sarcasm. He grinned at their passive faces and said, "Before I leave you, two items to note: one, you will forget that I can compel those on vervain, and you will forget that we had this conversation in which I came here and compelled you to tell your group that you scoured the library and found nothing of interest in your search. In fact, it's probably best that your group stop searching Norse mythology as it seems like a waste of time, correct?"

Tyler and Jeremy responded to Klaus' commands, repeating back his instructions robotically. Klaus disappeared from the boys' sight, watching them as they left the library, separating as Jeremy went home and Tyler went to the Salvatores'. He followed Tyler at a distance, delighting in the tiny shivers of fear the teenage boy displayed as he hurried down the sidewalks until he came to the Salvatores' front door. He waited patiently, listening as Tyler delivered his message to the group about the research being a dead end. He smiled as Elena called Elijah, seeking reassurance that everything would somehow be fine despite their many failures. Once Damon, Elena and Tyler began discussing their limited options, he flashed to the front door, rapping lightly with the iron knocker.

Damon opened the door, scowling at Klaus. "Isn't it a bit late to be selling Girl Scout cookies?" At Klaus' smug expression he added, "Why are you here? The ritual is tomorrow night. I made an agreement with your psycho girlfriend when she saved Elena tonight. We'll show up to your ritual, you use Elena in the sacrifice, and Caroline sacrifices me to resurrect Elena." At Damon's words, Elena began crying, but she managed to stifle most of her sobs when Tyler squeezed her hand comfortingly.

Klaus cocked his head, studying Tyler. "And what of Tyler? Am I to believe he shall willingly arrive with you and your doppelganger to be sacrificed? Such a brave lad," he crooned, eyes bleeding gold as he slyly suggested, "Or perhaps Tyler believes there is a plan in place that will stop the ritual?" The three tried to keep their expressions in check as they looked at the Original, but he could sense their growing alarm at his words. Sighing dramatically, he slowly lifted his foot, placing it squarely past the home's threshold. At their shocked faces he chuckled, "It appears Bonnie and Elijah's witches may have missed a few things with their protection spell."

Damon valiantly tried to punch Klaus, but the vampire was no match. Klaus easily dispatched him with a sharp twist of his neck. As the vampire crumpled at his feet, Klaus looked up at Elena's strangled shout. "Easy love, he'll come back soon enough. I find that spell ingredients are much easier to transport when they're immobilized."

Tyler took one last look at Elena and as his terror-filled eyes met hers, he bolted toward the back door, leaving her to her fate. Klaus effortlessly appeared before him, shaking his head slowly at the boy's foolishness. "The callous manner in which you discussed my goddess with the Gilbert boy was quite disrespectful. I should make you suffer, but alas, I have other matters to tend to." He coldly stared at the trembling boy and said, "You should really be thanking me, lad." He quickly grabbed Tyler's head, yanking it around until the sharp crack echoed throughout the room.

"No," Elena shouted, backing away from Tyler's dead gaze. "Why did you kill him?" She struggled to understand what she had just witnessed. "You needed him for the ritual. You don't have another untriggered werewolf."

Klaus smirked, enjoying her confusion. "Actually, that's where you're wrong."

Across town, Caroline rang the doorbell of the Gilbert house, her pale pink lips curving into a satisfied grin when the door opened.

Aunt Jenna's trademark gentle smile became twisted and cruel as she said in delight, "Caroline, come in. I've been expecting you."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Author's note: Thank you for all of your favorites, follows, and reviews — they keep me going and it's great to see this little story still generates so much interest! Shorter chapter this time with no Klaroline, but I promise to make it up to you with the next chapter. I also started a series of AU Klaroline one-shots called _A Beautiful Symmetry_ that I hope you'll find worth reading. I look forward to hearing your thoughts!

Warning: Violence — We get dark in this one.

* * *

"Why is thy cruelty so fell?

Bethink thee, monarch, it is ill

With such a wolf at wolf to play,

Who, driven to the wild woods away

May make the king's best deer his prey."

— _Heimskringla_ by Snorri Sturlason

* * *

With a vicious smile, Caroline stepped across the threshold to the Gilbert house, watching as first confusion and then horror settled upon Jeremy's face as he looked wildly between his Aunt Jenna and the goddess. He was clearly trying to make sense out of this devastating betrayal; why had his aunt allowed their enemy into their home so easily? "Aunt Jenna?!" His dazed expression cleared as he incorrectly read the situation. He snarled at Caroline, "What did you do to her?"

The women glanced at each other, chuckling at the boy's anger and confusion. "Me," Caroline mocked with feigned innocence, "I can assure you that your aunt required little prompting to be our ally."

Jeremy shook his head, his fists curling at his sides. "You compelled her to be your spy," he accused bitterly.

Aunt Jenna turned to Caroline, irritation in her voice as she said, "Can we end this silly charade please? I've held up my end of the bargain," she declared, allowing her carefully hidden Bulgarian accent to color her words and cause the boy's eyes to widen in fear as he slowly began to understand his predicament.

Caroline looked sharply at Aunt Jenna, her voice a knife's edge as she decreed, "Our pact is complete when _I_ deem it so." Her tone became playful once more as she added, "Although, good manners dictate we should make the _proper_ introductions." In a graceful gesture, she swept her arm from the trembling teenager to his "aunt" and said matter-of-factly, "Jeremy, I'd like you to make the acquaintance of Nadia Petrova, daughter of the Petrova doppelganger, Katerina. She bound herself to our cause in the 1400s, searching for the next doppelganger."

The boy shook his head, taking several steps away from his aunt and Caroline. "But — but my Aunt Jenna — where is she," he stuttered, his anguish bleeding out of him in waves.

Nadia rolled her eyes. "There never _was_ an Aunt Jenna, you dolt! Once we determined that the next doppelganger would be here, Caroline spelled all of Mystic Falls and any soul associated with its inhabitants to suddenly believe that an insipid girl named _Jenna Sommers_ was real."

He bravely faced the woman he had known all his life, betrayal causing his voice to shake as he questioned, "But she said you were around in the 1400s…but you're human. Bonnie or the Salvatores would have noticed if you weren't!"

Caroline snapped her fingers and said impishly, "That's right — I almost forgot — I need to remove that pesky humanity spell." She cocked her head to the side, studying the impatient woman before her. "When I remove your collar, will you behave?" She wagged her finger and warned, "The ritual is tomorrow night and I do not have time to clean up any messes of yours."

Nadia's eyes glittered with malice as she looked at the boy she had watched grow up, the last vestiges of feigned warmth leaving her as the cold, opportunistic woman she always had been emerged once more. "It will secure my freedom; _of course_ I can abide by your terms."

Caroline nodded curtly in the woman's direction, and a wave of magical energy filled the small room as the humanity spell was broken and Nadia's vampirism was returned. "Your control is restored as well — I haven't the time or patience for any rampages due to thirst," she warned.

Before Nadia could speak, Matt appeared unexpectedly behind her, clumsily wielding a broken chair leg. Nadia whirled around in anger, grabbing him by the neck. She hissed, "Matt, sweet, utterly useless Matt. Do you realize how difficult it has been for me to refrain from removing you from this pathetic world? You add nothing of value and are merely a part of the scenery."

At Jeremy's desperate, strangled cry, Caroline chuckled. "Untrue. The boy does have _something_ of value." She focused her cold blue gaze upon Jeremy, moving in front of him to playfully stroke his cheek where her nails had so cruelly marked him that day in the woods. "You, dear boy, were an unexpected surprise. I'm sure you recall our pleasant meeting in the woods?" At Jeremy's bitter expression, she smiled broadly. "Of course you do. Your impertinent tongue caused me to remind you of your place."

She leaned forward to whisper in his ear, "The moment I tasted you, I knew your family had hidden more than just the fact that the doppelganger was adopted. This town's founding families have such a tangled, twisted ancestral tree. It turns out that at some point, the Lockwoods and the Gilberts jointly produced heirs. What flows through your veins should have been an unremarkable lineage, but instead you possess the Lockwood werewolf gene."

Jeremy's eyes widened at this revelation. "No, I — I can't! Tyler has all of this anger and I…"

Caroline shook her head with an indulgent smile, tossing back her blonde waves. "The human mind is a marvelous device of denial. You were never told of the Gilbert family's connection to the werewolf gene, so you passed off your own aggression and enhanced desires as normal. Whereas once the Lockwood boy was made aware of his family's curse, he felt his symptoms that much more strongly, because he _anticipated_ them."

He shook his head fiercely, jerking away from her touch. "You…you want me to be the werewolf sacrifice instead of Tyler," he whispered harshly, his eyes welling up with tears. "Please, I don't want to die," he croaked out, "Why can't Tyler…" he hastily broke off his speech, ashamed.

"Jeremy," Matt managed to choke out, still struggling against Nadia's viselike grip. "What are you saying? Tyler's our friend!"

Caroline's dark chuckle filled the room, her amusement evident. "But your species is at its core quite selfish, boy," she pronounced, favoring Matt with an almost sympathetic look before turning toward Jeremy again. "Jeremy understands that the will to live is natural; it's _instinct_." She gripped the teenager's trembling chin, bringing his face closer. "It's certainly _your_ instinct. Your friend cannot hope to understand this, but _I_ can." She raised an inquisitive eyebrow, studying the panic-stricken boy. "What if I let you choose? Tell me, Jeremy, would you beg me to spare you and instead sacrifice Tyler?"

Jeremy continued to stare fixedly at the striped rug at his feet, unable to meet her eyes. "Yes," he whispered brokenly, "I beg you to save me. Take Tyler instead." He hung his head in shame as hot, angry tears began to fall the moment Matt released a shocked gasp.

Nadia threw back her head, laughing hysterically. She enthusiastically kissed Matt's cheek, the boy's scowl deepening as he continued to pointlessly struggle. "I knew it! I knew Jeremy would try to take the easy way out!"

Caroline released Jeremy, patting his head with faux sympathy. She crooned, "There, there. I understand. After all, the three sacrifices for the ritual are more painful than you could ever imagine. Primordial magic requires more than mere blood. It requires the shattering of souls, the claiming of one's essence beyond that of simple marrow and flesh." Her blue eyes gleamed as she casually revealed, "Unfortunately for you, two unwavering truths have sealed your fate: First, you were marked as a sacrifice the moment your impertinence caused you to speak of Odin's wretched lies. Secondly," she paused, waiting for his fearful eyes to meet hers, "Niklaus eliminated Tyler mere moments ago; he was quite displeased with the boy's rather callous words about me."

Over their startled cries, Nadia pulled Matt's face to hers, staring deeply into his sorrow-filled eyes. "Now, it's time for you to play your role, Matt," she commanded, her lilting tone enticing him to do her bidding. "We need you to attack Jeremy, and keep attacking him until he kills you; after all, we can't have a sacrifice with an untriggered werewolf, can we?"

Nadia released Matt, her lips twisting into a self-satisfied grin as he swayed on his feet, clutching the broken chair leg in his hands. However, the boy's vacant expression turned vengeful and he took the vampire by surprise when he lunged toward her, burying the splintered stake several inches into her chest, but failing to penetrate her heart. She angrily screeched, yanking out the wood and hurling it across the room.

Caroline sighed in aggravation, stepping in front of the boy. "Their entire group has been on vervain ever since Elijah first appeared. Honestly, Nadia," she shook her head disdainfully. She captured the boy's frightened gaze, ignoring Jeremy's anguished pleas. "Dear boy, always overlooked. Left behind. I can _feel_ your anger." Her melodic voice penetrated his frenzied thoughts. "Don't you want to let it out? I promise, you'll feel _so_ much better." Licking her pale pink lips, she gently coaxed, " _Just. Let. Go_."

Matt's faded blue eyes glazed over as he completely surrendered to Caroline's power. He saw Jeremy backing away from him in terror and this seemed to fuel his sudden, overwhelming rage. He tackled the cowering boy to the floor, beating him with both fists as Jeremy curled into himself, trying desperately not to lift a hand against his compelled friend. Matt mindlessly continued hitting Jeremy until he knocked loose Jeremy's tooth.

The scent of his own blood seemed to awaken something primal within Jeremy as he bellowed with rage and wrapped his hands around Matt's neck, reversing their positions with surprising ease. Jeremy glared down at his friend, who continued to attack him, and suddenly he was no longer intent upon merely knocking him away to safety. It was about survival. _His survival_. Neither boy was truly in control at this point; their anger almost more instinctual than manufactured. With a final guttural roar, Jeremy pressed his fingers deeply into Matt's neck, his face reflecting an alarmingly cold satisfaction as the life started to leave his friend.

Matt took a final, gasping breath, his death rattle echoing in the room that had grown quiet with anticipation when the fight had begun. Jeremy came to his senses quickly, scrambling off of Matt and staring at the body in horror. "No!" The boy's pitiful cry was cut short as he felt a stabbing pain travel throughout his body, leaving him a shaking, sweaty mess. When Jeremy finally looked away from Matt's corpse to glare at Caroline and Nadia, the telltale ring of gold in his gaze was all the confirmation they needed.

The final ritual ingredient had been collected.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Author's note: Thank you for all of the reviews and support you've shown my story. Everyone was surprised about the big werewolf reveal in the last chapter, so I'm happy I wasn't being too obvious with that plot twist. We still have a few more surprises, but in this chapter we'll slow it down a bit and bask in the spicy, sexiness of Klaroline. We're getting close to the end; maybe one or two more chapters after this one!

Warning: Sexy-times smut to make up for last chapter's shameless violence and overall lack of Klaroline.

* * *

"Never was known such a hungry bride!  
Ne'er saw I lady so full of greed,  
Nor maiden drink so deep of mead!

He lifted the veil to kiss the bride,  
And the hall's full length he sprang aside:  
Why are her eyes so full of ire?  
Methinks they are darting sparks of fire!"

— _The Lay of Thrym: The Norse King's Bridal_

* * *

"I brought you a present, my love," Caroline crowed triumphantly as she entered the mansion with Jeremy slung casually across one slim shoulder. She greeted Klaus with a delightfully filthy kiss, and then handed over the unconscious werewolf.

Gripping the boy's neck, he smirked, "I'll store this downstairs with the other ritual ingredients." He flashed away, leaving Caroline to wander into the parlor.

She spied the gleaming piano in the corner and rubbed a finger across the rich walnut surface. The baroque design was elaborately carved to mimic Klaus' sketch all those centuries ago when they were frequent guests of the Medici court. The heavy gilt bases had been a design element he had insisted upon when he commissioned Bartolomeo Cristofori with a naughty gleam in his steel gray eyes as he emphasized the importance of a _sturdy_ design.

They had been drawn to the Florentine court because Prince Ferdinando de' Medici was known as a patron of the arts, music in particular, sponsoring such immortal legends as Handel and Scarlatti in addition to Cristofori. His lively court had been filled with music and intrigue and a rare glimpse of the beauty that humanity can create. Caroline unexpectedly took an interest in the prince's wife, Violante of Bavaria, and found herself pitying the plain girl who foolishly loved spoiled Ferdinando. Caroline observed how the posturing royal would pointedly ignore the poor girl or treat her with the utmost disdain, tearing her down repeatedly until she abruptly left the court and settled in a villa by the sea.

Caroline's pale pink lips curved into a wicked smile as she recalled how Ferdinando had fallen in love with the celebrated vocalist, Victoria Tarquini. Before he could confess his feelings, he mysteriously contracted syphilis, leaving him terribly disfigured and in nearly constant agony for the rest of his life. He also had the misfortune of watching Victoria marry a concertmaster and proceed to have scandalous affairs with many of the musicians Ferdinando had sponsored, including Handel.

"Lost in your memories of the Medici court, my goddess," Klaus whispered in her ear as he flashed to her side.

She smiled, leaning back into his powerful embrace. "Just pondering a gift I gave to a prince we once knew."

He chuckled darkly. "Ah yes, that dullard Ferdinando. I realize you took a liking to his unfortunate wife, but was the syphilitic curse truly necessary," he asked dryly.

Caroline's blue eyes gleamed as she turned her head to kiss his jawline. "When faced with a man's false heart? Always."

"Of course that led to his death without siring any children. And then his younger brother's reign was cut unexpectedly short when he likewise died childless. An entire ruling lineage was extinguished and the great European powers at the time reassigned the territory to France, thus ending its independence," Klaus cheekily added, dimples flashing.

"My mercurial ways are well-known to you, Niklaus." She turned in his arms, resting her chin on his chest as she flicked her blue gaze to his. "Are the children tucked in," she asked with a grin.

Klaus caressed her blonde waves, chuckling. "Yes. In fact, the Gilbert boy began stirring just as I placed him in his cell with the doppelganger and Damon. I suspect they'll keep themselves entertained with their tales of woe. Their little group has experienced two deaths, a triggered werewolf and a betrayal by a supposed family member. It's been an exceptionally busy day — even for them."

Caroline smiled, relaxing into his reassuring warmth. "And I trust that Elijah is _protecting_ the witch until the ritual tomorrow night?"

"Yes, I'm sure by now he's thoroughly impressed her by how well-informed he is about our recent deeds." His gray eyes narrowed as a thought struck him. "And what of our spy?"

She placed both palms against his chest in a soothing gesture. "Nadia will be at the ritual tomorrow night as planned, do not fret, Niklaus."

He pulled her further into his strong body, breathing in her familiar scents of honey and vanilla, finding them equally reassuring and arousing. "I never fret, my goddess, for you are with me," he murmured, covering her soft lips with his own. They sank into each other, their lips working in perfect harmony to ignite the sparks between them. He moved his hands down her body, sliding her blouse off with a whisper of silk. She eagerly shoved down her tight jeans, kicking them off to the side. He cupped her chin, trailing burning kisses down her ivory throat before growling, "Will my goddess tease me? Or will she easily submit?"

Caroline's blue eyes darkened at his sensual words and she answered him with a coy smile. "Niklaus, what a foolish question." She extended one slim leg, straddling the piano bench and lowering her body in an achingly slow manner. Once she rested her curves upon the damask velvet, she undulated her hips slowly, brushing her pelvis against the silver-toned fabric that teased her thighs so sweetly.

Klaus groaned at the erotic display before him, his cock twitching as she dragged her thumbs across the lace cups of her bra, circling her rosy nipples until they pressed insistently against the fabric. Noting his rapt attention, she dipped her hands inside, freeing her breasts and squeezing them softly as his breath hitched. She unclasped her bra, rubbing the lace against her belly before allowing it to drop to the floor. She threw back her head, making her blonde waves dance as she continued to rock against the bench.

Unable to resist her seductive moves, he moved in front of her, removing his dark henley and unzipping his jeans to pull out his rigid length. She placed her fingers on top of his, curling them around his cock and stroking his flesh to match the sensual rhythm of her hips. Together, they squeezed down his aching erection, delighting them both with how it twitched in pleasure.

She licked her lips, causing his steel gray eyes to flare golden as she bent forward to capture his dripping cock in her mouth. He grunted in satisfaction as she flicked her tongue across his smooth flesh, capturing his salty essence. She increased the pressure, sucking him into a sweet oblivion while feeling his stomach muscles clench under her palm. He came with a roar, calling out her name as she lapped at his arousal, unwilling to spill a single drop.

Klaus quickly brought her to her feet, kissing her passionately while savoring his flavor upon her devilish red tongue. Spinning her around, he bent her over the piano and took a moment to appreciate the sight of his flawless goddess presenting herself to him wearing nothing but a creamy lace thong. He hummed in delight as she wiggled her hips impatiently in his direction, pushing out her sexy little rump in his direction. He draped his lean torso over her smooth back, rubbing his hands up and down her sides as she shivered under his featherlight strokes.

When he trailed his fingers to the lacey sides of her thong, plucking at them like an instrument, he smirked at the small groan of anticipation she emitted. "How shall I tease you, my goddess? After all, turnabout is fair play." He slowly slid a finger down her cleft, dipping in just enough to pull strategically at the tiny string of fabric between her pert cheeks. He maneuvered the fabric _just so_ , causing it to rub delightfully against her swollen clit.

"Devour me, Niklaus," Caroline gasped at the sinful friction he caused her with his insistent tugging.

"I serve at the pleasure of my goddess," Klaus rumbled, sinking to his knees behind her. He ripped apart her panties, flinging the fabric behind him as he fell upon her with teeth and tongue, indulging in the heady flavors of her arousal. He ran his tongue down her cleft, taking his time thoroughly exploring her clenched ring of muscles. She spread her legs wider, whining in frustration when he circled his tongue deliciously close to her dripping core before pulling back to seek out her inner thighs and soft curves instead.

His cock was standing at attention once more, but he resisted the urge to sink into her just yet. He needed to bring her pleasure before taking his. He chuckled at her impatience and finally gave into her wish, angling his mouth to apply the firm suction she craved against her trembling center. He plunged his tongue through her slick folds, moaning at the unique taste that only he could pull from her aching body. Feeling her body tighten under his skillful tongue, he licked and nibbled at her swollen flesh until she found her release, coating his tongue and lips with her desire.

Caroline tossed her sun-kissed mane behind her, glancing over a bare shoulder to regard him with a hint of flames in her gaze. "No more teasing," she commanded, licking her lips at the sight of her lover on his knees behind her.

Klaus rose to his feet once more, pushing his jeans down his legs with a smirk as he held her sapphire gaze. Taking his thick length in his fist, he stroked it as he settled between her legs. He rubbed the leaking tip lightly across her quivering rump, tracing her damp cleft with his teasing touch. She thrust her ivory flesh into him, grinding her sensual curves in a desperate attempt to meld their explosive heat. Moaning at the sight of his goddess splayed out and aching with need, he smoothly slid into her core, causing her to gasp out in pleasure. He took his time moving within her, savoring the pull of her muscles as she tried to draw him to her.

As she clenched around him, crying out his name, he increased his tempo, allowing the thrusts to become desperate and wild as he sought his release. He bellowed his completion, collapsing against her damp back as he sought to catch his breath. They remained there together, curled around each other as they enjoyed a rare moment of peace, an inexplicable softness that defied the logic of such hard creatures.

* * *

The next evening, Klaus and Caroline walked into a clearing where the land had been stained centuries ago with the blood of an especially violent massacre during the Revolutionary War. British soldiers had slaughtered most of the small town in an attempt to locate colonial militiamen that they believed the townspeople had been hiding. Caroline knelt down to touch the cold earth, digging her claws into the soil and allowing the loose dirt to scatter in the light breeze. She could feel the soured bones buried in mass graves borne of haste and indifference. The full moon's celestial pull and the energy of this scarred land would serve as the perfect conduits for the ritual.

"Shall we commence, my goddess," Klaus asked, gently pulling her to her feet.

Smiling widely, she nodded, golden curls swirling around her shoulders. She carefully marked the sacred circles for the individual sacrifices, directing Klaus to place the unconscious bodies within the center of each. Snapping her fingers, flames snaked along the perimeter of each circle, greedily invading the darkness.

With the initial crackle of the flames, Damon, Elena and Jeremy snapped awake, leaping to their feet and crying out in alarm as they realized they were trapped in the circles. Their protests quieted when they looked more closely at the ritual site and noticed a fourth circle, encased in flames as their own, but strangely empty.

Swallowing hard, Elena said shakily, "I thought the ritual called for only _three_ sacrifices? Who is the fourth sacrifice?"

Klaus and Caroline traded coy smiles as they heard the rest of their guests arrive.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Author's note: The mystery sacrifice has everyone asking lots of questions which made me so happy that you're still invested in my story. Thank you for all of the follows, favorites and reviews! I hope you enjoy the surprises in this chapter. We'll have one more chapter after this one to wrap everything up.

Warning: Graphic violence. Also, deliciously dark Klaroline as more secrets get revealed.

* * *

"Remember, Othin, in olden days  
That we both our blood have mixed;  
Then didst thou promise no ale to pour,  
Unless it were brought for us both.

Stand forth then, Vithar, and let the wolf's father  
Find a seat at our feast"

— _Lokasenna,_ Snorri Sturlason

* * *

Elijah stepped into the clearing, standing protectively in front of Bonnie. Bonnie squared her shoulders, trying not to look at her trapped friends so that she could remain focused on her task. Their hopeful cries penetrated the rough mask she wore and her body twitched as though she longed to race toward the fires that held them hostage.

Klaus's lips curled into a knowing smile. "Brother, come to watch my victory?"

Elijah was stone-faced as he grimly replied, "Let's end this, Niklaus."

Bonnie stepped around Elijah, her face no longer obscured by the shadows of twisted branches. She raised her arms, summoning the power her ancestors had bestowed upon her. Her small, cheerful voice became rough and tinged with a swaggering confidence that she didn't know she could possess as she began chanting. Klaus fell to his knees as though his muscles were seizing. He gasped out a shaky breath, his eyes flashing dangerously. Elena, Jeremy and Damon all yelled triumphantly as they watched the Original collapse. Their joyful cries filled the air; confident that soon their loathsome enemy would be defeated.

Caroline started to run to his side, but was stopped short as Bonnie cast her spell upon the goddess. Her ivory skin seemed to sizzle in the moonlight, as though Bonnie's words were poison to her soul. Sapphire eyes blazing, she watched the witch with interest despite appearing to be in agony. "Your powers have surpassed my expectations, little witch," she pronounced with a hint of pride.

Bonnie's dark gaze bored into hers and she yelled triumphantly, "We've come to stop you! I won't let you hurt my friends anymore!"

Klaus let out a painful groan, writhing upon the cold ground. He shuddered violently, panting and wheezing. Just as he began a long, painful bellow, he was cut short by Elijah's wry voice, "Honestly, Niklaus, are your theatrics entirely necessary?"

Bonnie looked at Elijah sharply, taking a hesitant step away from him, but maintaining the connection to her powerful spells. "What do you mean, Elijah," she asked warily.

Elijah gave a long-suffering sigh as he buttoned his dark suit jacket. "I'm afraid we have mislead you, Bonnie," he explained with a tone of regret.

Caroline stopped pretending to be frozen by the witch's spell and crossed her arms in front of her in a huff. "Always such a spoilsport, dear Elijah," she scolded playfully. She walked over to Klaus and reached out a hand to help him up.

Klaus took her hand with a smirk, dusting off his clothing. "Trust my brother to cut short our fun, my goddess." He addressed Bonnie, chuckling. "Good effort, little witch. It was a delightful tingle."

Caroline's pink lips twitched in mirth. "Mine was more of a fun tickle." At Bonnie's horrified expression, she mockingly asked, "Did you honestly believe you could seek an alliance with your departed ancestors? _I_ rule the underworld, silly witch. Their souls are _mine_ ; their power is _mine_." Her blue eyes glittered maliciously as she vowed, "And I would _never_ allow that power to harm what's _mine_."

"You chose the wrong side, little witch," Klaus growled, tensing his muscles as though ready to attack.

Caroline held up her hand to call for silence. "But it's not too late to choose more wisely," she offered, her commanding voice softening unexpectedly. The protests and curses of the ritual sacrifices had become deafening. With a glare of annoyance, Caroline froze time. She needed Bonnie to focus on her generous offer and not be distracted or allow herself to be swayed by outside influences.

Bonnie blanched at the impossible scene before her, her heart pounding wildly. Several brown leaves had been caught in mid-swirl between Elijah and Klaus, who seemed to be in the midst of arguing good-naturedly if the curl of their smiles was anything to go by. A glance to her right showed her friends' faces frozen in various states of distress. Most fascinating of all was the bizarre picture the roaring flames made, their gold and crimson colors jutting out like jagged spikes in the night air. She was curious to touch the fire and see if it would still burn her in its temporary stasis, but her fear kept her rooted to her place.

Caroline studied the scared teenager before her. Dressed all in black, she sensed the girl was trying to portray a worldly sophistication she did not possess. A little girl playing a woman's game. But with the right influences and the right experiences, she could be a worthy asset. She just needed the right _motivation_. "Bonnie, my dear, if anyone else had attacked me and mine as you have done tonight, there would be no saving you from my vengeance. But as I told you at our first meeting, I respect you. You are a rarity amongst the humans, possessing such a noble soul. I am offering you the opportunity to become greater than you could ever imagine. The earth would sway and tremble under your power if you wish it so." Flames swirled in her blue gaze as she coaxed, "Align yourself with us. Swear an oath to me and your past betrayals shall be forgiven."

"No!" Bonnie shook her head violently, her dark hair momentarily hiding her face. "I would _never_ join someone so evil; I will _never_ be your lap dog!"

"Lap dog?" Caroline's eyes widened in surprise. "You underestimate your worth, Bonnie. You are far too formidable to be a mere minion. You are the last of the Bennet line, a powerful force to be reckoned with; one that the supernatural world deeply respects. You would be an ally, a confidant. I would _never_ seek to tear you down or make you less than what you are." She cocked an eyebrow at the girl's confused expression and inquired, "Can your so-called friends offer you the same pledge? Is their loyalty given to you in equal measure?"

As Bonnie struggled to find the right words, Caroline took her hand and led her toward the sacred circles where her friends remained frozen behind the flames. "You call me evil, something I will not deny. I am a creature of limitless power, forged before humanity was created, even before time was measured. I follow a code your humanity cannot understand. But before you make your decision, you need to understand that evil exists in all creatures. _No one_ is untouched by darkness."

"My friends are loyal and good! They don't deserve to be sacrificed," Bonnie shouted angrily.

"Are you sure," Caroline coyly asked, pointing her delicate chin at Damon. "What about Damon? After all that I revealed to you about him, from his dark history with women to his knowledge about Stefan's plans terrorize and kill you like he did to your mother, do you still defend him? Is he worthy of your loyalty?"

The girl's stillness was a sight to behold for one so young as she seemed to gather strength within herself. Closing her eyes against the tears that threatened to fall, she took a cleansing breath and said flatly, "No. Damon is a monster. Just like you and the Originals. The world is better off without him."

Caroline ignored the witch's cutting remark and instead focused on Jeremy. The wound from her claws was still visible on his cheek. "Very well. Moving on to the Gilbert boy. Did you know that he begged me to sacrifice Tyler in his stead? Loyalty means nothing to him."

Bonnie's dark eyes widened in surprise, but she replied bitterly, "It's understandable. You probably tortured him until he couldn't take it anymore. Anyone would have done the same to survive."

"That's not _quite_ how it happened, but I'll allow you your prejudices against me," Caroline said magnanimously. "Perhaps this knowledge will sway you. Jeremy caught Stefan lurking outside of your bedroom window months ago. At first he was understandably angry, but Stefan offered him a bargain. He vowed to never hurt Elena if Jeremy would keep his secret about his perverse hobbies. The Gilbert boy traded _your_ life for his sister's. _That's_ the depth of his loyalty," Caroline spat venomously, glaring at the boy still frozen by her spell.

"I — I don't believe you," Bonnie protested weakly.

Caroline sighed, "Very well." She lifted her temporary hold over the boy so that he could speak once more. "Young Gilbert, be a good lad and tell Bonnie about the conversation you had with Stefan outside of Bonnie's window. She's curious about the details of the bargain you struck."

The boy paled under the scrutiny. "Bonnie," he began hastily, "Whatever she told you, it wasn't like that, okay? I was just trying to buy some time to figure out what to do."

"And in the meantime, if he killed me, it didn't matter because at least Elena was safe," Bonnie yelled at him, the fire in her voice echoing throughout the small clearing. "It's _always_ about Elena; everything and everyone must be sacrificed so that she's protected," she clenched her fists angrily as hot tears trickled down her face.

Before Jeremy could offer anymore pitiful excuses, Caroline resumed the spell and he was frozen once more in the sacred circle. She gave Bonnie a moment to compose herself and then stepped toward Elena. "The doppelganger has many secrets, but the one you'll be most interested in is the secrets she kept for another." She pointed an accusing finger at Elena as she revealed, "Not long after she learned that Stefan was a vampire, he confessed to her about his _appetites_. She's known about your mother's death at his hands for months now. When he told her that he still needed to hunt, to stalk innocent prey, do you know what her biggest concern was?" At Bonnie's stony silence, she continued, "The doppelganger told him that as long as the girls weren't prettier than her, she could _endure_ it." She scoffed. " _Endure_ it. As though the doppelganger's hardship of a murderous predator upon her arm compared to what his helpless victims _endured_."

Tears continued coursing down Bonnie's cheeks, her copper skin taking on a sallow tint as she absorbed the information and tried not to retch at the bitter taste it left in her mouth. As Caroline temporarily removed the spell from Elena, she faced her childhood friend with trepidation. "Tell me the truth, Elena. Did you know that Stefan murdered my mother?"

Elena tried unsuccessfully to remove the shock from her face. She sputtered, "Yes, but…but you have to understand that…it…it was a long time ago and he was different then!"

"Really? And what about all of the girls he continued to stalk and kill? Sounds like the only person who changed was _you_ , Elena," Bonnie accused coldly.

An ugliness crawled across the doppelganger's face as she turned over Bonnie's words. "Stefan loved _me_! _We_ were happy," she screeched.

Caroline stepped in and returned Elena to her stasis behind the flames. The poor witch beside her had endured too many psychological blows for one lifetime, much less one night. She spoke in a soothing tone as though calming a wounded animal. "The truths I've given you are harsh, I know, but you are strong enough to overcome them. For the suffering I've caused you, I offer you a gift. An incentive if you will. Pledge an oath to me, Bonnie, and I shall restore your mother."

Bonnie's body jolted as she heard the goddess' bargain. Her countenance remained cold and calculating, even as she brushed aside her tears with both hands. Her dark gaze swept across the frozen faces of the people she thought she knew, as she now finally understood the depth of her ignorance. Straightening her spine, she looked Caroline in the eye and said bluntly, "My oath is yours."

Caroline smiled triumphantly, pulling the witch back to where Klaus and Elijah stood and removed the spell from them. "Bonnie has agreed to bind herself to our cause. She is now our ally." She nodded to Elijah and commanded him, "She is under your care, Elijah. Protect her."

At Bonnie's curious expression, Caroline gently squeezed her hand. She said reassuringly, "Elijah will watch over you until the ritual is complete. I am sending you ahead and Niklaus and I will be along shortly. There is much to discuss." She waved an arm and a cavernous fissure appeared in the ground, swallowing Bonnie and Elijah before resealing itself.

"Well done, love," Klaus complimented her with an affectionate kiss to her temple. "I trust the witch will prove useful."

Caroline chuckled, "Immeasurably. You have no idea, Niklaus." She grinned as she heard the rustle of leaves, signifying the arrival of their final guest. "I do not tolerate tardiness. Your impudence is most vexing, Nadia," she snarled.

Nadia stepped into the clearing, trying to appear unmoved by Caroline's anger. "My apologies. It appears that at least I haven't missed the festivities," she drawled, glancing at the frozen figures.

Klaus shared a secret grin with Caroline. "Indeed. You're right on time."

Caroline moved swiftly, using her powers to unlock her spell that froze time and shifted Nadia into the fourth sacred circle. Elena and Jeremy called out in surprise as they saw Nadia was being held within the sacrificial flames. Despite the fact that she had deceived them all their lives, 'Aunt Jenna's' love and protection a heartbreaking falsehood, it was clear that they could not fathom watching her be destroyed.

Nadia faced Caroline and Klaus with fangs and a snarl. "What is this?" The obvious fear made her voice barely more than a screech.

"This is nothing more than your malleable loyalty deserves," Caroline said acidly.

"You thought to deceive us, to align yourself with our enemy. You chose poorly," Klaus growled at Nadia, the black veins crawling across his face as he bared his fangs in anger.

Caroline noted with satisfaction how Nadia's normally coolly appraising gaze had become terrified as her eyes darted to the sides attempting to secure an escape from the powerful creatures she had betrayed. "You have tried to summon Odin, you ungrateful wretch."

"Yes. And if by some miracle I survive this night, I will continue to seek him out! You killed my mother, Katerina, and forced me to be your slave! I will have my revenge," Nadia screamed. The blazing flames that trapped her caused a layer of sweat to form across her brow. Wiping it away in an oddly composed manner, she added, "Rumor of Odin's followers have reached my ears. They are searching for the six ingredients. Your victory tonight will be bittersweet."

Caroline's eyes widened in surprise and a hint of fear at the words she never thought she would hear again. She quickly feigned indifference at Nadia's disturbing words and faced Klaus who silently searched her face for answers. "More lies straight from Odin's tongue. Show this realm the fate of those who dare to defy us."

Klaus lips curled into a pleased grin as he calmly stepped through the fire barrier of the sacred circle to capture Nadia by her throat. The vampire struggled uselessly against the Original's powerful grip. Holding her aloft in the moonlight, he used his other hand to punch through her ribcage in a most brutal fashion. He tossed her graying body in a pile at his feet as he gripped her heart in both hands. At Caroline's encouraging nod, he devoured the gore-soaked organ without hesitation, allowing his monster to surface as he relished his kill.

Damon's harsh voice could be heard over the anguished cries of Elena and Jeremy. "I was never meant to be the vampire sacrifice in the ritual, was I?"

Caroline's blonde curls gleamed in the firelight as she stepped closer to his sacred circle. "For a time, you were. But fate stepped in and showed me a far better way to wrench the suffering from your dishonorable soul."

"You lied to me. You said if I traded my life for Elena's you would bring her back once the ritual was complete. A life for a life," the vampire said bitterly.

"I gave you my word that the doppelganger would be _released_. And she will be — upon her death, I vow to release her soul. She will be free from the suffering I normally inflict upon those in the underworld who defied me on this plane of existence," Caroline explained, shrugging her shoulders lightly, "My word is my bond and shall not be broken." Her blue eyes twinkled mischievously as she added, "Although my word also can be fluid. A 'life for a life' is accurate in the pact needed to resurrect a mortal life. Unfortunately, it needed to be a _human_ life to restore a human life." She feigned wide-eyed innocence as she glanced around the moonlit clearing. "Unfortunately we appear to be fresh out of those."

"Evil bitch," Damon spat, trying and failing to break past the barrier of flames to launch himself at her in what would undoubtedly be a futile attack.

Caroline stayed Klaus' enraged form as he roared and advanced toward Damon. "Not yet," she told him decisively. "The next sacrifice is needed."

At her command, Klaus stepped into the protective circle that held Jeremy, his hands still dripping blood from the vampire sacrifice. He dug his claws into the young werewolf's chest, smiling wickedly as the body slumped forward in defeat as though accepting its inevitable death. He withdrew the bloody heart, eagerly devouring it as he could feel the changes in his body begin.

The doppelganger's weak cries reached Klaus' ears and he glanced at Caroline for confirmation that it was time for the final sacrifice to commence. At her signal, he swept the doppelganger into his powerful arms and drank deeply from her exposed throat, mauling the tender flesh amidst Damon's pitiful yells. Once his tongue had captured every last drop of her blood, he dropped the husk at his feet, stepping out of the circle of flames to bask in the growing power the moonlight had bestowed upon him. The victory of completing his ritual after centuries was the sweetest triumph he had ever known. Soon, there would be a painful transformation like none he had experienced in his immortal lifetime, but he knew his goddess would be at his side.

Caroline took a moment to savor the lines of her lover, his skin rippling in the moon's silver rays as the beginning of his transformation was upon him. A small smile graced her face as she effortlessly stepped into the flames that held the openly weeping vampire. Damon's dark eyes never left the heartrending sight of Elena's crumpled corpse. Caroline knelt beside his huddled form, whispering in his ear, "I took my revenge in small, indulgent nibbles." She cocked her blonde head to the side, teasingly observing, "Much like how you treated your chosen prey. Tell me, vampire, did you relish chewing upon the pain-filled cries of the innocents your tormented? I know the flavor of _your_ pain is a taste I have thoroughly enjoyed between my teeth."

Damon shuddered against Caroline's touch as she calmly stroked his cheek. He was a broken shell, his silence speaking volumes as his eyes continued to bore into Elena's still form. Her whisper was deadly as she boasted, "I took away your appetite for defenseless humans, I took away your despicable brother, and now I've taken away your greatest love. There's only one more thing you possess." The tendrils of her power began to seep into Damon's pale skin, graying his flesh as he slowly desiccated. Leaning over his rotting corpse, her blue eyes sparkled as she gazed into his dead stare and declared, " _Now_ I have my revenge. It is my divine right to be gifted a portion of the dead, and I will ensure that your soul is numbered among that tribute."

The startling crack of Klaus' bones pulled her from her reverie, and she rushed to his side as he sank to his knees upon the cold ground. The pain was etched across his handsome face as his muscles twitched and shifted under the power of the ritual. He thrashed violently as he ineffectively tore at his skin, the searing burn of an unknown element flowing through his veins and igniting his soul.

Caroline reached her hands to the heavens, embracing the night sky as she cackled triumphantly. "Now you will understand everything," she swore, gazing at Klaus' writhing form.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Author's note: We've finally arrived at the last chapter of this work. You may wish to reread chapters 4 and 8 to understand some of the explanations/references mentioned here. I appreciate everyone's support as you followed this story from a simple one-shot to a multi-chapter work. I am grateful for your patience as I experimented with my writing, creating darker characters and a much more savage world than I normally craft. I look forward to reading your thoughts and hope that you'll take the time to review my work. Thank you all for embracing the dark Klaroline that I created; it's been a fun ride and I hope you'll continue to follow me on my future writing projects!

Warning: Delicious smut!

* * *

"Much I have travelled, much have I tried out,

much have I tested the Powers;

from where will a sun come into the smooth heaven

when Fenrir has assailed this one?"

— _Poetic Edda_

* * *

The hush that had followed the final sacrifice was tension-filled, as though the earth itself was hesitant to draw breath as it anticipated the ritual's violent completion. Klaus roared as the silver moonlight seemed to electrify his sweat-soaked skin. The woods were filled with the raw, cracking sound of his bones breaking to expand his form. Powerful muscles rippled just under his skin, filling out new spaces as nature redrew the lines of his magnificent body.

Coarse gray and white fur burst forth, ripping through the pale flesh with ease. Klaus' eyes glowed a savage gold, possessing a wildness he had never exhibited before in all his centuries as a vampire. He flexed his powerful paws, scraping his claws across the cold earth. He was even more magnificent than Caroline's dim memory recalled, and she gasped as she took in the massive beast that now loomed over her.

Capturing the predatory gleam in his eyes, Caroline was awestruck. "Do you remember who you are now? Who you are to me," she asked breathlessly. She stretched high above her head to grasp his enormous jaw with both hands, tugging him close to her. "You are Fenrir, god of werewolves." She stroked his gray- and white-speckled muzzle with trembling fingers. "And I have felt your absence for eons, my love."

His low growl was almost gentle as he traced the smooth curve of her neck, breathing in her scent and emitting small chuffing noises. The golden fire that flared in his eyes failed to diminish the calculating intelligence that dwelled there. He clearly understood her words, and with time, the telepathic link they once shared would be restored.

Caroline dug her sharp nails into his dense coat, scarcely believing that all of her careful plans over the centuries had finally come to fruition. He was here with her and _he was whole_. The scent of the blood sacrifices clung to the night air, and she inhaled the heady mix of torn flesh and bone and stolen life force. "Now you understand that breaking your curse unleashed not only the werewolf but also unlocked your memories. Long ago, when you were Fenrir, we thought our existence infinite, and we ruled our lands and people side by side, feasting and fucking together as we pleased. We were gods and couldn't fathom our demise."

Her sapphire gaze blazed as her words sharpened in fury, "Then, a prophecy was foretold that you would kill Odin and trigger _Ragnarok_ , the apocalypse. You bravely met Odin on the battlefield, and I proudly watched as you bested him time and again. During one of your skirmishes, you swiped at Odin, digging your claws into the earth and creating the Sogn Fjord in your wake. Odin knew victory had evaded his grasp, so the baseless coward employed deceit to secure his triumph."

He growled with heated aggression at her words and the obvious sorrow that bled into her voice near the end of her narrative. He angled his head toward her, silently nodding in understanding as they both relived the dark memories of their shared past. Her hands curled into fists as she sorted out her thoughts of anger and fear all those eons ago. "I watched as Odin performed his cheap parlor trick of soul manipulation, extracting your soul and pushing it into the ether of the universe until the day it could latch onto a new body and take possession. My powers of premonition showed me that it would be ages into the future before your soul would inhabit a newborn child. I knew that once Odin found the infant, he could easily end its life and destroy you in the process. I bided my time until that fateful day when I located the baby and concealed it from Odin, thus ensuring your survival."

Caroline favored him with a wistful smile. "I watched over you as best I could, knowing that if I stepped in too frequently, it would rouse Odin's suspicions." He gently nudged her soft cheek with his cold, wet nose, reassuring her of his presence. "My foresight showed me how you would suffer during your mortal life as well as that of your immortal one, but I also saw clearly the path to restoring your memories and I understood the roles we needed to play to accomplish this."

He suddenly crouched down, the powerful muscles rippling in his long forelimbs as his bones cracked loudly, shifting his massive body back to his former state. As he slowly rose to his feet, gloriously bare in the silver moonlight, he raised his hands to cradle her face, a loving smile touching his full lips. His gravelly voice settled into her heart, making its home there once more. "Even before I met you, my love, I longed for you. When you finally revealed yourself to me long ago when I sought your assistance with the doppelganger, something inside of me called out, and I felt a contentment, as though I had finally found my place."

Caroline gazed up at her lover in wonder, overcome with emotion. Her voice shook slightly as she confessed, "It nearly destroyed me to keep this secret from you. Soul manipulation is ancient, fragile magic." She touched his bare chest with an unsteady hand. "If Fenrir's soul had learned of its past memories before they were properly unlocked during the ritual, the ceremony would fail without the memories and full powers being restored. You never would have been _whole_."

He saw the trepidation and uncertainty in her eyes and he quickly sought to reassure her. "Your fears are unfounded, my goddess. My memories as Fenrir and Niklaus have intertwined. I loved you with every part of me as Fenrir and I loved you just as fiercely when I was simply Niklaus. I understand the need for cloaking your true intentions these past centuries, and your determination to make me whole once more is a debt I can never repay."

Caroline coiled her fingers through his, vowing darkly, "Odin will pay for what he's done to you, to _us_."

His steel gray eyes darkened as he nodded in agreement. "Indeed. His treachery and cowardice will be known once we seek our revenge." A wry smile teased the corner of his lips as he added, "Not to mention the filthy lie he put forth that we were siblings."

Her mouth twisted in distaste. "I will carve the truth into Odin's blasphemous tongue." Furrowing her brow, she said with a twinge of worry, "What Nadia proclaimed before you sacrificed her — about Odin's followers searching for the six ingredients — was it idle boast or something more?"

He shook his head, smoothing back her golden curls. "Her duplicitous nature renders it difficult to discern, but we cannot rule out the possibility that Odin has commanded his faithful to scour this world and the next for the set of mystical ingredients that will supposedly bind me."

"Which is one of the reasons why I secured the Bennet witch as our ally. Her lineage holds ancient magic that can help render those cursed ingredients impossible to find. We will be victorious, my love," she swore, clutching his hands in hers once more.

"Of course we will, my clever goddess," he rumbled. The dangerous gold bled into his gaze as he dipped his head down to capture her shell-pink lips in a hungry kiss that promised to swallow her whole. He slipped his strong hands inside the dual slits of her long skirt, grasping her thighs and easily wrapping her around his waist.

She eagerly rubbed against him, pushing aside the bunched silk so that he could feel her core, slick and weeping with want, against his skin. He hissed at the sensual touch, sliding his nose along her jawline as he breathed in her intoxicating aromas of honey and vanilla. He rained down punishing kisses at her collarbone, tugging at her ivory flesh with his teeth, marking her thoroughly with his bite. In his aroused state under the full moon, he was helpless to prevent his body from reacting as his fangs slid under her skin, desperate to taste the wanton lust in her blood.

At the first prick of his fangs, Caroline gasped, tightening her thighs around his waist as she shuddered in his arms. She could feel his cock stirring beneath her bottom, and she let out a groan as he slowly sank to the earth with her still clutching him. She ground down into his lap with a sinister smirk, teasing the tip of his member until it was barely nudged into the cleft of her ass. With a soft rocking motion, she embedded him further into the crevice of her cheeks, their combined arousal sweetly perfuming the air.

"Little minx," he growled, gritting his teeth, "teasing my cock as though it can be tamed."

"Then tame _me_ ," she challenged with blue eyes blazing.

With a snarl of fangs and claws, he yanked her from his waist and twisted her body to all fours in one fluid movement. His knees pushed into the cool earth as he rose behind her, tearing away the gleaming azure fabric until she was laid bare before him. He reached under her trembling body, sliding one long finger through her dripping slit until he found her clit, so inflamed with desire that she nearly screamed when he pinched it, plucking at it like a harp string.

A few more torturous tweaks of her overly sensitive flesh nearly sent her careening over the edge, so he hastily pushed his aching cock inside her soaked core. He groaned at the feel of her beautiful body flexing beneath his, so perfect, so _right_.

She clamped tightly around his thrusting member, refusing to allow his engorged flesh to leave her center for more than a moment before her body greedily called out for him to fill her once more. She moaned as she felt the tip of one finger dancing at the entrance of her anus as he continued his powerful strokes.

Noting how her muscles puckered in anticipation, he teased, "Shall I pleasure you here as well?" He swiveled his hips just so, pulling a hearty groan from his lover. "Tell me what you need," he commanded.

Caroline whipped her head around to face him, her blonde curls swirling about her shoulders. "Stretch my flesh that craves your touch. Make _me_ whole," she demanded, biting down on her lip as she met his bucking hips once more.

He smoothly slid one finger past her ring of muscles, pushing at the delicate tissue until they bent to his will. Soon, he added another finger, spurred on by her breathless groans. Once he deemed her trembling body ready, he withdrew his length from her dripping core and filled her tight chamber with a satisfied sigh. He drove his cock in and out, delighting in her whimpers that grew into ecstatic cries as she came around him.

Soon, he found his own release and he gripped his cock as he spilled his seed onto her cheeks and cleft, marking her thoroughly with his musk. He pulled her into his body as they lay upon the bed of dried leaves, bathing contentedly in the silver moonlight as they caught their breath.

Hours later, Caroline rose to her feet, holding out a small hand to help him up. A mischievous grin graced her pink lips as she said, "Now, shall we go see about our revenge?"


End file.
